to* 

Copyright N° 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT: 



I 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

ON 

"THE LAND AND THE BOOK" 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

ON 

"THE LAND AND THE BOOK" 



BY 

ROBERT STUART MACARTHUR 

AUTHOR OF 

"Current Questions for Thinking ^Men" " The Celestial Lamp" 
"Quick Truths from Quaint Texts," '"Bible "Diffi- 
culties and Their *Alleviative Interpretation" 
" The Old 'Book and the Old Faith " 
etc., etc. 



In those holy fields 
Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, 
Which fourteen hundred years ago were naiVd 
For our advantage on the bitter cross. 

— Shakespeare 



PHILADELPHIA 

%. 3. IRowlanfc— 1420 Cbcstnut Street 
1900 



U&iARY of CONGRESS 

Two Copies Received 

NOV 17 1906 

A Copyright Entry 
CLASS A XXc, No, 
Copy b. 



Copyright 1900 by 
Robert Stuart MacArthur 



afrom tbe ipress of tbe 
Bmertcan JBaptfst publication Society 



PREFACE 



This volume will possess at least the value 
of showing that a great amount of traveling can 
be done in Palestine in fifteen days. Many busy 
pastors and laymen are prevented from attempt- 
ing to visit Palestine because their time is lim- 
ited, and they think they must spend a month 
or six weeks in the Holy Land. Doubtless 
one might well remain as long as that, if he 
had sufficient time for that purpose. Special 
students do well to- spend years in this historic 
country ; but this volume will show that much 
can be done in two weeks. With the exception 
of Hebron, Tyre, Sidon, and a few other local- 
ities, all places of great interest west of the Jordan 
were visited ; but some points of the country in 
the vicinity of the Dead Sea had to be seen partly 
through the eyes of others. The country is 
small, and an energetic traveler, especially one 
who is not greatly fatigued by riding his horse, 
can accomplish much in fifteen days. Soon rail- 
ways will be built over all the country, and 
while they will rob it of much of the archaic 
charm of its ancient customs, they will greatly 
facilitate travel over this rough and desolate, 
but still interesting and sacred land. 

Many pastors and business men are deterred 



vi 



PREFACE 



from visiting Palestine because summer is their 
usual holiday season. With most pastors the 
winter and spring are the harvest seasons for 
their churches ; to be absent then is virtually to 
lose a whole year's work. Of course, spring is 
the best time in which to visit Palestine. Then 
the grass is abundant and green ; then flowers of 
many kinds make the country beautiful with 
varied charms. Then also the weather is pleas- 
ant, and traveling in companies can more readily 
be arranged than at other seasons. In summer, 
or in the early autumn, the country is parched 
from the heat, vegetation has largely disappeared, 
and with it many attractions. But, on the other 
hand, prices are then much lower, hotels are not 
crowded, and dragomans are more easily secured. 
Those who speak of the heat as being so great 
in India, Egypt, and Palestine, are usually tourists 
from Great Britain or from northern Germany. 
The writer was in the Hawaiian Islands, in 
Japan, China, Ceylon, India, Egypt, and Pales- 
stine between the months of June and October, 
arriving in Palestine at the end of September, 
and leaving about the middle of October ; and 
he found no day in any country as hot as were 
the closing days of May in New York before he 
left for his trip. A clerical friend spent the 
months of June, July, and August, in the city 
of Jerusalem, and he affirms that it was one of 
the pleasantest summer resorts he ever enjoyed. 
There is a vast amount of worthless tradition 
regarding the great heat of these countries. 
A visit to Palestine will be disappointing to 



PREFACE 



Vll 



many excellent Christians ; but if a tourist goes 
with the present condition of the country clearly 
in his mind, and prepared to experience some 
discomfort, and to judge rightly the changes 
which time and mis-government have wrought, 
he will come back with his faith strengthened, 
his knowledge greatly increased, and his Bible 
illumined. He will be able to say with Renan : 
" I had before my eyes a fifth Gospel, mutilated 
but still legible, and ever afterward in the re- 
citals of Matthew and Mark, instead of an abstract 
Being that one would say had never existed, I 
saw a wonderful human figure live and move." 
Never before were both Testaments so real to 
this writer as now ; it is not too much to say 
that the Bible has become a new book. 

Most of the chapters in this volume were de- 
livered as Sunday evening lectures to the Cal- 
vary congregation ; a few did not seem to be 
sufficiently biblical and religious for that pur- 
pose. This use of the lectures will explain the 
blending of biblical exposition, geographical, 
historical, and experimental facts, with some 
elements of exhortation to practical duties in the 
Christian life. But, because of their primary 
use, these lectures are not robbed of whatever 
value they would have in any case as a help to 
one intending to make the journey or actually 
making it. 

Many authorities have been consulted. Baed- 
eker's " Palestine and Syria," and Cook's " Tour- 
ist's Handbook of Palestine and Syria," were, 
while on the journey, a daily and even hourly 



viii 



PREFACE 



" vade mecum" Among other authorities con- 
sulted are Smith's, McClintock and Strong's, Kit- 
to's, and other Bible dictionaries ; Stanley's " Syr- 
ia and Palestine" ; " Recent Discoveries on the 
Temple Hill," by Rev. James King, m. a. ; " Cleo- 
patra's Needle," by the same author ; " The Dis- 
eases of the Bible," by Sir Risdon Bennett, M. D., 
Li*, d., F. r. s. ; " Fresh Light from the Ancient 
Monuments," by A. H. Sayce, LL. D. ; " Egypt and 
Syria," by Sir J. W. Dawson ; Geikie's " Hours 
with the Bible ; " " In the Levant," by Charles 
Dudley Warner ; u Bible Lands Illustrated," by 
Rev. H. C. Fish, d. d. ; " The Historical Geog- 
raphy of the Holy Land," by George Adam 
Smith, d. d. ; " Handbook of the Holy Land," 
by Henry B. Waterman, D. D. ; and " Galilee in 
the Time of Christ," by Selah Merrill, D. D. 
Where the writer's indebtedness is direct and 
conscious, he has striven to acknowledge it in 
the body of the text. 

This hurried visit to the land of patriarchs 
and prophets, the land of evangelists and apos- 
tles, and above all the land of Jesus Christ, has 
given deepened love to Him who is the end of 
revelation, the ideal of character, the inspiration 
of life, and the glory of eternity. That this vol- 
ume may honor the Bible and glorify Christ is 
the author's chief desire and prayer. 

R. S. MacA. 

Calvary Study, New York, Jan., 1900. ' 



CONTENTS 



LECTURE I 
The Land of the Book i 

Different Names of "the Land" — Boundaries of 
Canaan — Size of the Country — Highway between 
Egypt and Assyria — Battlefield of the Nations — 
Beautifully Diversified — Its Plains — Valley of the 
Jordan — Its Rivers and Streams — Lakes or Seas — Its 
Glorious Mountains — Its Climate — Varieties in Pro- 
ductions — Land of Ruins above All Other Coun- 
tries — Its Various Nationalities, Creeds, and Sects — 
Return of the Jews — Their Two Main Bodies — Pos- 
sibilities of the Overthrow of "the Unspeakable 
Turk" — Good Government, and it Would Again be 
a "Land Flowing with Milk and Honey." 



LECTURE II 
Joppa — "Beauty" 13 

Sail from Alexandria to Joppa — First View of 
Joppa — Thoughts on the Holy Land — Difficulty in 
Landing — Classical Joppa — Biblical Joppa — Modern 
Joppa — Present Appearance — American and German 
Colonists — Oriental Associations. 



LECTURE III 
"Going Up to Jerusalem" 24 

Railway to Jerusalem — Plain of Sharon — Lydda, 
its Names, History, and Church of St. George — Ram- 

ix 



X 



CONTENTS 



leh, its Name, Traditions, Tower, Ophthalmic Dis- 
eases, as at Lydda — Ajalon — Jimzu — Beth-horon — 
Joshua's Prayer — Did Sun and Moon Really Stand 
Still? — Joshua's Famous March — Makkedah, where 
the Five Kings were Slain — Latrun and its Traditions 
— Emmaus, not that of Luke — Abou-gosch, named 
from Famous Robber — Kirjath-jearim, "City of the 
Woods," and its Great Memories — Gibeon and its 
Cunning Townspeople — The Country of Samson — 
Zorah, Timnath, Sorek, and Delilah — Nearing Jeru- 
salem — Holy Land about Size of Wales or New 
Hampshire — Railway Station — Valley of Hinnom — 
Tower of David — Jaffa Gate — Jerusalem ! 

LECTURE IV 
Jerusalem — " Habitation of Peace" 37 

Some Travelers Disappointed with Jerusalem — 
Doubt Regarding the Sacred Sites — Quotation from 
Renan Regarding Effect of Visiting Holy Land — 
Origin of Word Jerusalem — Location of the City — 
History : Where First Mentioned ; Salem, then 
Jebus ; David's and Solomon's Times ; Temple Built ; 
Captured ; Babylonish Captivity ; Alexander the 
Great ; Ptolemy ; Under the Maccabees ; Romans ; 
Destruction ; Constantine and Helena ; Caliph Omar ; 
Crusaders ; Turkish Sway in 1840 — Modern Jeru- 
salem — Excavations Going Forward — The Chief 
Gates — The Leading Streets — Various Peoples and 
Faiths — The Charitable Institutions. 

LECTURE V 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre 52 

Approach to the Church — Clamorous Peddlers and 
Impudent Beggars — Synopsis of History of the 
Church — Question of Site — Claims of other Places 
to be the Site — Is the Traditional View Correct? — 



CONTENTS 



xi 



Visiting the Church, its Rotunda, Chapels, and other 
Sacred Places — The Holy Fire — Horrible Scenes — 
Parts Owned by Different Churches. 

LECTURE VI 
The Mosque of Omar 64 

The Great Altar Mountain — Marvelous Spot — Its 
Wonderful Memories — Christ in the Temple — The 
Temple Area and its Names — The Mosque : its 
Dome ; Interior ; Windows ; the Sacred Rock ; Pray- 
ing Places ; Mysterious Slab — Mosque el-Aksa — The 
Cradle of Christ — So-called Throne of Solomon — El 
Kas, or the Cup — Stirring Views — Historic Scenes. 

LECTURE VII 
Various Interesting Places — Jaffa Gate . . . 77 

Jaffa Gate with its Needle's Eye— The Tower of 
David — The Royal Quarries : their Discovery ; their 
Characteristics ; their Relation to the Various Temples 
— The Jews' Wailing Place : the Description ; the 
Wailers ; the Litany — The Via Dolorosa — The Tomb 
of David — The Ccenaculum — Was this Really the 
Place ? 

LECTURE VIII 
"Round About Jerusalem" 92 

Valley of Gihon — Valley of Hinnom — Worship of 
Moloch— "Field of Blood "— " Pool of Siloam"— 
King's Garden and Dale — Tombs of Zechariah and 
Absalom — Valley of Jehoshaphat — Garden of Geth- 
semane : Location ; Features ; Reality ; Tender 
Memories ; Significance. 



xii 



CONTENTS 



LECTURE IX 



Bethlehem — " House of Bread 



103 



No Sweeter Name — Valley of Rephaim — Road to 
Bethlehem— Well of "The Star "—Mar Elyas— 
Tomb of Rachel — Ancient Zelyah — Solomon's Pools 
— Is Urtas Emmaus ? — Claims of El-Kubeibeh — 
View of Bethlehem — Historical Facts — Plain of the 
Shepherds — The Church of the Nativity : Its For- 
tress-like Appearance ; its Convents ; its Size, Nave, 
and Roof ; Chapel or Grotto of the Nativity — The 
Star in the Marble Slab — Kneeling Pilgrims — Latin 
Inscription — Ever-burning Lamps — Warring Faiths — 
Chapel of Manger — Altar of the Magi — Altar of the 
Innocents — Tomb of St. Jerome — Well of Bethle- 
hem — Back to Jerusalem — Groups of Lepers. 



Passing through St. Stephen's Gate — The Mount 
of Olives — The Doomed Fig Tree — Bethphage — Beth- 
any — Was This the Grave of Lazarus? — The Ala- 
baster Box — Place of the Ascension — Down to Jeri- 
cho — Place of Desolation — Petrified Waves — Fero- 
cious Bedouins — Wild Gorges — "Brook Cherith " — 
Valley of Achor — Jericho, "Place of Fragrance" — 
Abominable Riha — Ancient Gilgal — Bathing Place — 
Suggestive Memories — Our Lord's Baptism — His In- 
structive Example. 



LECTURE X 



From Jerusalem to Jericho 



116 



LECTURE XI 



The Dead Sea 



128 



Largest Lake in Palestine — Never Much Navi- 
gated — Its Names and Characteristics — History of the 
Dead Sea — Bathing in the Sea — Superstitious Views 



CONTENTS 



Xlll 



Largely Removed — Nauseous Character — Scientific 
Results — Beautiful and Terrible — The Earth May 
Contain all the Elements Necessary for the World's 
Destruction. 

LECTURE XII 
The Cities of the Plain 140 

Their Names and Number — "Were they at the 
South or the North End of the Lake?— The De- 
struction of the Cities — What were the " Slimepits " ? 
Sir J. W. Dawson's View — Natural Conditions and 
Divine Punishments — Natural and Supernatural — 
Petroleum in Canada — Recent Volcanoes — Meaning 
of "Brimstone" — Recapitulation of Argument — 
How About Lot's Wife?— Not a "Pillar" but a 
Mound — The Laws of Nature are the Laws of God 
— Way of Escape Then and Now. 

LECTURE XIII 
Jerusalem to Bethel 150 

Turning Northward Roads Become Permanent — 
Historic Travelers Over this Road — Last Views of 
Jerusalem — Shaphat, the Ancient Nob — Gibeah of 
Saul — The Motherly Love of Rizpah — Geba, An- 
athoth, Ramah — Beeroth, the Modern El Bireth — Ai, 
with its Memories of Achan, of Defeat and Victory — 
Bethel, the Household Word — Practical Lessons 
Suggested by the Journey over Desolate Hills and 
Ancient Roads, and the Sight of Bethel. 

LECTURE XIV 
Bethel to Shiloh 159 

Modern Name of Bethel is Betin — Luz Older 
Name than Bethel — Abraham and Lot Came from 



xiv 



CONTENTS 



the Jordan — Lot's Selfish Choice — Jacob's Journey — 
His Sleep and Dream — Erection of Altar — Thirty- 
Years Later — Ark of Covenant Here — Seat of Gross 
Idolatry — Bethel Changed into Bethaven — The 
Golden Calf — Jeroboam Punished — Elisha, Children 
and She-bears near Bethel — Ephraim — "Glen of the 
Robbers" — Approaching Shiloh — Lessons from 
Places Visited, Need of an Altar to God — Heaven 
.and Earth Still Near— Christ the True Ladder. 

LECTURE XV 
Shiloh — " Peace' ' 167 

Fruitful Fields of Ephraim — Jifha, the Ancient 
Gophnah — Tibneh, Supposed to be Timnath-Serah— 
Sinjil, Perhaps the Saint Giles of the Crusaders — 
Seilun, the Ancient Shiloh, Meaning "Peace " — In- 
teresting Historical Events — The Daughters of Shiloh 
— Here the Ark and Tabernacle — The Ancient Well — 
Hannah's Prayer — Samuel's Boyhood— Eli and his 
Sons — Capture of the Ark — Death of Eli — Birth of 
Son, but Death of the Mother— Child Called " Icha- 
bod " — The Prophet Ahijah — Traces of Tabernacle 
— Joshua's Tomb — Discovery of Flint Knives — Hast- 
ing to Jacob's Well — Plain of Mukhna — Discoveries 
of Science Endorsing Teachings of Bible — Professor 
Toy's Recent Assertion, and its Refutation. 

LECTURE XVI 
Jacob's Well and Joseph's Tomb 177 

Reaching Jacob's Well — Heaps of Rubbish — Jews, 
Christians, and Moslems Agree as to This Place — 
Here We are on Ground Trodden by Christ — Dr. 
Hanna's Words — Our Surroundings — The Well De- 
scribed — Picture of Christ Here — Why Jacob Dug 
This Well — Why Did Woman of Samaria Come 
Here for Water? — Building over Joseph's Tomb — 



CONTENTS 



XV 



Valley of Nablus — Where Abraham's Oak Stood — 
Turkish Barracks — Beauty of the Valley — What Mo- 
hammed Said of Syria and the Mountain of Nablus 
— A Greater than Jacob, Joseph, or Joshua Here. 

LECTURE XVII 
Nablus and the Samaritans 186 

Meaning of Word Nablus — Other Names of the 
Town — The Biblical and Secular History — Glances 
at Mounts Ebal and Gerizim — Joshua's Pulpit — 
Marked Features of Nablus — Sublime Scene of the 
Ratification of the Law — The Samaritan People — The 
Samaritan Quarters — The Codex of the Pentateuch 
— Their Synagogue — Their Creed — Special Rites — 
Enmity between Them and the Jews. 

LECTURE XVIII 
From Nablus to Samaria 195 

Sun Hot, Roads Glaring — Climbed Over Part of 
Ebal — Tirzah — Salim — Samaria : Its Location ; Its 
History ; Modern Name ; Terrible Siege ; Visit of 
Elijah — Visiting Mohammedan School — Church of 
John the Baptist — His Alleged Tomb — Obadiah's 
Also — Superb Ruins — Noble Monoliths — Traditional 
Sites — Wonderful Fulfillment of Prophecy. 

LECTURE XIX 
From Samaria to Dothan and Jenin 204 

Valley of Barley — View of Abel-Meholah — Dothan, 
' ' Two Wells ' '—Joseph, ' ' This Dreamer ' '—The 
Sons of Jacob with their Flocks — Came from He- 
bron — Joseph's "Coat of Many Colors," Not a Coat 
of Many Colors — Thrown Into and Drawn from the 
Pit — Taken Away to Exaltation in Egypt and Immor- 



xvi 



CONTENTS 



tality in the World — Elisha at Dothan — Ben-hadad 
the Syrian — Compassing the City — Fear on the Part 
of Elisha's Servant — Elisha's Prayer — Mountain Full 
of Horses and Chariots — Syrians Blinded, Captured, 
Conducted to Samaria — Arriving at Jenin, the En- 
gannim of Scripture — Lessons for To-day from the 
Olden Time. 

LECTURE XX 
The Plain of Esdraelon 215 

Conspicuous in Topography of Palestine — Scarcely 
Less so in History of Israel — The Battlefield of the 
Nations — Name and Shape of Plain — Scripture Places 
Thereon — Most Noted Modern Contest, that Be- 
tween the Turks and Napoleon in 1 799 — Great Rich- 
ness of the Plain Naturally — Its Present Desolation 
— Farmed out in great Part by Rich Men in Damas- 
cus and Beirut — Prowling Bedouins — Summary of 
the Great Battles of Israel — God Raising Up Wit- 
nesses to the Truth of the Bible. 

LECTURE XXI 
Zerin, the Ancient Jezreel 225 

Starting from Jenin — Seeing Jaanach on our Left — 
Reaching the Historic Megiddo — Deborah and Barak 
Against Sisera — Jezreel, "God's Sowing" — What 
Memories Here ! — Jezebel's Malign Influence — 
Ahab's Fatal Weakness — Elijah's Curse Fulfilled — 
Death of Ahab — Fearful Fate of Jezebel — Continu- 
ance of her Influence in Israel and Judah — Weak- 
ness is Wickedness — Evils of Unholy Marriage — God 
Will Assuredly Punish Sin. 

LECTURE XXII 



Fountain of Gideon 235 

Description of the Fountain — Dashing Soldiers of 



CONTENTS 



XVII 



Heroic Gideon — The Noble Three Hundred — The 
Country Devastated — Coming of the Children of the 
East — Their Gorgeous Display — Names of Chiefs — 
Meaning of the Names — Gideon, the Deliverer — His 
Family — His Employment When Called by God's 
Messenger — The Assurance Given Him — The Tests 
to which God Condescended — The New Era Dawns 
— The Men who Lapped — Meaning of the Act — 
Ground of Gideon's Choice — Sanctified Common 
Sense — Quality More Valuable than Quantity — The 
Mighty Host of Midian — The Stealthy March of 
Gideon and His Servant — Dream of the Midianite — 
Interpretation Thereof — The Mysterious Barley Cake 
— Midnight — Lamp, Pitchers, and Trumpets — Defeat 
and Victory — "Faint, Yet Pursuing" — Punishing 
the Unfaithful — Slaying the Foe — Refusing to be Made 
a King — Lessons for To-day. 

LECTURE XXIII 
Mount Gilboa and its Battle 249 

Battle of Gilboa — Proximity of Important Places — 
Near the Fountain of Gideon — The Camp of Israel 
— Israelites long Masters — Saul's Evil Case — De- 
serted of God and Man — Darkness in His Soul — 
Seeks the Witch of Endor, "The Mistress of the 
« Ob '"—See Him Go with Two Attendants —They 
Arrive — The Spirit of Samuel Apparently Aroused — 
The Woman Startled — Saul Overwhelmed — The Next 
Day Comes — The Battle Rages — See Saul and the 
Noble Jonathan — Saul Wounded — His Sons Dead — 
The Dizziness of Death — Falling on His Sword — A 
Wild Amalekite Gives the Last Stroke — David's 
Lament — Israel's Terrible Defeat — Saul's Down- 
ward Course — "The Mighty Fallen in the Midst 
of the Battle," and Fallen also in Early Moral 
Conflict. 



xviii 



CONTENTS 



LECTURE XXIV 
Shunem — " Double Resting-Place " 258 

Sulem, the Shunem of Scripture — Approach to the 
Village — The Grove and the Streams — At Shunem 
the Philistines Encamped — Home of the Shunammite 
Woman — Elisha's Visit — Chamber on the Wall — Her 
Kindness — Her Deprivation — Elisha's Promise — 
Birth of a Son — His Illness — "My Head, My 
Head" — Taken to His Mother— At Noon Dead — 
Application to the Prophet — The Woman Hastening 
Over the Plain — Elisha's Servant — Elisha Himself— 
Her Return — The Servant and the Staff Powerless — 
Elisha Alone with Dead — "Take Up Thy Son " — 
Wonderful Moment — Sorrow Comes to All — All in 
Sorrow May go to God — Lesson of Hospitality — 
Greatest Men Powerless without God. 

LECTURE XXV 
Nain and its Widow — Endor and its Witch . . 269 

Nain Mentioned Nowhere in the Old Testament — 
Fine Location — A Few Hamlets — Nain Lives Ever 
in the World's Heart— Christ Glorified it by His 
Compassion and Power — The Woman's Double Sor- 
row — Christ's Discriminate Sympathy — His Words of 
Power — Glorious Moment — Contrast between His 
Miracles and Those of Elijah and Elisha — Nain Will 
Live When Nineveh, Babylon, Athens, and Rome are 
Forgotten — Endor — "Spring of Dor," or "Home 
Spring" — Endor Not Mentioned in the New Testa- 
tament — Location — Description of Caves — One Large 
— Squalid People — The Witch and the Apparition — 
Saul's Sad Straits — Explanations Offered — Are They 
Correct? — One Endorsed — Did Samuel Appear Be- 
fore the Woman Began her Incantations ? — Terrible 
was the Effect on Saul — Saul at Times Seemingly Irre- 



CONTENTS 



xix 



sponsible for his Acts — But Responsible for Earlier 
Tendency — God Not Mocked — Unbelievers in God 
and the Bible will become Believers in Things Abso- 
lutely Impossible and Supremely Silly. 

LECTURE XXVI 
Bethshan — " House of Rest" 279 

Known as Scythopolis and Now Beisan — Situation 
Unusually Attractive — Ruins Very Interesting — De- 
scription of Fragments of Columns, Pillars, and Other 
Remains — Traces of Massive Walls — The Amphithe- 
atre — Many Nationalities Left their Impress — Early 
Mention of the Town — Its History through Different 
Civilizations — Bishops of Scythopolis — Place Desolate 
in the Middle Ages — In Time of Crusaders — Level 
Ground had Influence in Battles — Here on the Walls 
Decapitated Body of Saul was Placed by the Philis- 
tines — Men of Jabesh-Gilead Took it Down — They 
Cremated Flesh — First Case of Cremation Mentioned 
in Bible — They Buried Bones of Saul and his Sons 
Under Tree and Fasted Seven Days — Feeling Re- 
garding Unburied Bodies — Similar To-Day in Several 
Countries — David's Appreciation of the Men of 
Jabesh-Gilead — The Suggestion for us Regarding 
David's Lord. 

LECTURE XXVII 

Mount Tabor — "Height" 289 

Rises Like a Dome — Its Attractive Appearance — 
Its Location — History of the Mountain — Deborah, 
the Joan of Arc of the Time — Both Poet and Patriot 
— Her Husband's Name — Her Own Means "Bee" 
— The WTiole Country Aroused — Barak, "Light- 
ning" — The Tribes Gathering — Meet on Mount 
Tabor — Sisera Collects Forces — Battle Begins — 
"Stars in their Courses Fought" — Rains De- 



XX 



CONTENTS 



scended — Floods Came — Chariots Mired — Horses 
Plunge — Sisera Flees — Jael's Tent — Gives Him 
"Lebben"— He Sleeps— Tent and Mallet— She 
Strikes — He Dies — Terrible Treachery — Deborah's 
Song — Bible and Jael's Act — Tabor in the Gallery of 
Memory. 

LECTURE XXVIII 
Nazareth — "the Guarded One" 299 

Tender Thoughts at Nazareth — Meaning of Word 
— Old Interpretations Set Aside — Location of Town — 
Population and Characteristics — Modern Name — His- 
tory of the Town — Relation to Christ and his Family 
— Places of Interest : Church of the Annunciation ; 
Chapel of Joseph ; Legend of Holy House ; Work- 
shop of Joseph ; Table of Christ ; Mount of Precipi- 
tation ; The Synagogue ; The Fountain of the Virgin 
— Religious Work in the Town — The Beauty of the 
Women — Grand Prospects — Lesson of Christ's Hu- 
manity, Industry, and Obedience — How he Learned 
Here. 

LECTURE XXIX 
Cana of Galilee r ..... 310 

From Nazareth to Cana — Birthplace of the Prophet 
Jonah — Is Cana Really Cana ? — Distance from Naza- 
reth — Water-pots Still Used Here — The Church on 
Site of House where Miracle was Performed — 
Where Are the Six Jars ? — Here Healing for Noble- 
man's Son — His Imperfect Faith — Christ's Beginning 
of Miracles — He Bided his Time — Too Many Men 
in Hurry — This Miracle Symbol of his Earthly Work 
—So his First Parable of All his Teaching — First 
Miracle at a Wedding Feast — Christ No Ascetic — He 
Did Gently Rebuke his Mother — Marriage Holy as 
Celibacy — Christ Cares for the Wants of Others — He 



CONTENTS 



xxi 



Made Good Wine — He Made it in Abundance — Re- 
ligion Always Keeps the Best to the Last. 

LECTURE XXX 
Mount of Beatitudes 319 

Passing " Horns of Hattin " — Origin of Name — Is 
This True Site? — What in its Favor? — Coincides 
with Scripture Narrative — Famous Battle Fought 
Here July 4, 1187 — Gave Deathblow to Crusaders — 
Battle Described — Saladin's Revenge — Moslem Yoke 
on all Land — Contrast Fierce Battle With Christ's 
Sermon — Were there Two Sermons ? — Characteristics 
of Sermon — Does it Lower Moral Standard ? — Cru- 
saders Gone — Saladin Dead — Christ and his Apostles 
Live — They Have "A Perpetual Contemporaneous- 
ness." 

LECTURE XXXI 
The Sea of Galilee 329 

First Glimpse of Sea — Hesitated to Take It — Too 
Good to be Real — What is its Appearance ? — Does 
it Disappoint ? — Picture Painted — Ride to the Town 
of Tiberias — Marked Change in Temperature — Vari- 
ous Names of Sea — Its Description — Its Size — Its 
Shores — Its Fish — Once Large Boats — Once Great 
Population — Dr. Selah Merrill Endorses Josephus — 
Dr. George Adam Smith Endorses Dr. Merrill — 
Many Ideas of Seclusion of Nazareth and Rudeness 
of Galileans Erroneous — The Number of Population 
Almost Certainly Great — Change of View Quite Sure 
to Come — McCheyne's Sweet Verses on Galilean Sea. 

LECTURE XXXII 



Town of Tiberias 339 

Christ Probably Never Visited It— Writer There 



xxii 



CONTENTS 



During Feast of Tabernacles — History of Tiberias — 
Its Various Periods — Various Nationalities — Struggles 
of Christianity — Jewish Schools — Learned Rabbins — 
The Modern Town — Protestant Missions and Hos- 
pital — Different Sorts of Jews — Sacred Burial Ground 
— Maimonides and Other Great Jews Buried Here — 
Study of Talmud Still Flourishes — Jerome Learned 
Hebrew from a Rabbi of Tiberias — The Historic 
Baths — Why Christ Avoided Tiberias — Also Other 
Half-Greek Towns. 

LECTURE XXXIII 

From Tiberias to Tel Hum 348 

Daybreak on Galilean Sea — Shores Aglow with 
Splendor of Sunrise — Road on Bluff — Horns of Hattin 
Again Seen — Wady Fik Opposite Tiberias — Site and 
Importance of Tarichese — Tiberias and the Residence 
of "The King of Fleas" — Magdala, its Wretched 
People — Poor Dwellings — Immortal Because of Mary 
Magdalene — Great Injustice Done Her — Coasts of 
Magdala — "Valley of Doves" — Overcoming Rob- 
bers by Soldiers Let Down in Cages — Land of Gen- 
nesaret — Shores of This Plain — "Children, Have 
Ye Any Meat?" — Khan Minyeh — Was This Caper- 
naum? — Ain-et Tabigah — German Colony — Ground 
Trodden by Jesus — Christ-visited Shores — Vocal 
with his Words — Radiant with his Glory. 

LECTURE XXXIV 
Capernaum, Chorazin, Bethsaida 357 

Many Perplexing Questions of Sites — Capernaum 
Christ's "Own City" — Our Lord's Solemn Warn- 
ings — Where Was Capernaum ? — Different Authori- 
ties — Canon Tristram and the " Round Fountain " — 
Is Tel Hum Capernaum ? — Remains of Synagogue — 
Location of Chorazin — Is it at Kerazeh? — Interest- 



CONTENTS 



XX111 



ing Remains — Bethsaida — Were there Two Beth- 
saidas ? — Charming Views — Glorious Moonlight on 
the Sea — Christ's Warnings Fulfilled. 

LECTURE XXXV 

From Capernaum to C^esarea-Philippi . . . .367 

Khan Yubb Yusef— Safed— Was it the City on 
Hill? — One of Four Holy Cities — Names of the 
Others — Glimpse of its History — Manner of its Build- 
ings — Large Population — How Divided — Dr. Thom- 
son's Thrilling Description of Earthquake There — 
Meiron — Tombs of Celebrated Talmudists — Kefr 
Birim — Kadesh Naphtali — Hazor — Lake Huleh — 
"Waters of Merom " — Shape of Lake — Size — Char- 
acter of Shores — Bedouins Fishing and Hunting in 
Vicinity — New and Prosperous Town of Jews — 
Meeting American Baptists — Tel el-Kadi, or Dan, 
Meaning Judge — One Source of Jordan — Arriving 
in Banias. 

LECTURE XXXVI 
Banias, the Ancient Cesarea-Philippi . . . .377 

The Sheik's "Upper Room" — Trouble Between 
Druses and the Metawilehs — Whence Comes Name 
Banias ? — Worship of Baal — Worship of Pan — 
Herod's Temple — Misinterpretation by Romanists of 
Christ's Words to Peter — Situation and Description 
of Banias — Environs Very Beautiful — So is Com- 
bination of Woods, Streams, and Hills — Ruins of Old 
Temples and Palaces — Most Attractive Spot — One 
Source of Jordan — Ancient Sanctuary of Pan — The 
Paneum — Wely of St. George — Cavern of Spring — 
The Rock— "Thou Art Peter "—Did This Historic 
Rock Suggest Form of Question and Answer of 
Christ? — Place of Our Lord's Transfiguration — 
Healing of Lunatic Child — Tender Thoughts — Glori- 



XXIV 



CONTENTS 



ous Presence of Jesus — The Huge Castle — Dean 
Stanley Compares its Size with Castle of Heidelberg 
— The Three Chief Sources of the Jordan — The 
Course of the River Traced to the Dead Sea — Our 
Lord's Presence Glorified Every Place he Visited. 



Leaving Banias — Druses' Sheik as Guide — An 
Imposition, but Was Helpless — Sunrise on Castle of 
Subeibeh — Glorious View of Hermon — Its Several 
Names and their Meanings — It as well as Lebanon 
the Mont Blanc of Palestine — Three Separate 
Heights — Transfiguration of Christ — Dean Stanley's 
Reference to Hermon in Hebrew Poetry — Breakfast 
at Winepress — Hot Ride Over Rough Roads — Wild 
Glens and Desolate Deserts — Then Abundant 
Streams and Luxuriant Vegetation — Traditional 
Burial Place of Nimrod — The Historic and Benefi- 
cent Pharpar — Yonder Damascus — Here Supposed 
Place of Saul's Wondrous Vision — Saul Smitten to 
the Earth — Here Repose Sought and Found in the 
New Khan — To-morrow on to Damascus, Oldest 
City in the World — Perpetually Young — Much 
Stirred by War between the Mountain Tribes — Tour- 
ist Contractors Charge Too Much — Grand Chance of 
Good Profits for Some American — He Could Make 
Money at Half- Rates — Syrian Wedding Party — Meet- 
ing Four American Clergymen — Charms of Da- 
mascus. 



LECTURE XXXVII 



From Banias to Damascus 



388 



LECTURE XXXVIII 



Damascus the Ancient 



399 



Oldest City in World — Shakespeare's Reference to 
this Opinion — View of Josephus — Its First Mention 
in Scripture — David and Damascus — Naaman the 



CONTENTS 



XXV 



Syrian — Tiglath-Pileser Subdued it — Place in Isaiah, 
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Amos — Subject to Various 
Nations — Many Jews there when Under Romans — 
Connection with Apostle Paul — Its Mercantile Great- 
ness — Starting-point of Caravans — Also of Pilgrims to 
Mecca — Residence of Christian Bishops — Splendor 
Begins with the Princes of the Ommiyades — Cru- 
saders Under Baldwin — Conrad III. — Taken by 
Mongols in 1260 — Plundered by Tartars in 1300 — 
Sultan Selim Took Possession, 15 16 — Turkish Pro- 
vincial Capital Ever Since — Slaughter of Christians, 
i860 — Location and Description — Influence of Abana 
and Pharpar — Charms of City and Plain — Damask — 
Damascus Blades — Toledo Blades — Different Ba- 
zaars — " Ifta ya haris" Open, O Watchman — 
Population — Protestant Missions — Damascenes Proud 
of City — Dogs Howl and Prowl — Great Mosque — 
Wonderful Inscription on One Minaret — "Street 
Called Straight" — The Christian Cemetery — Grave 
of Buckle — The Gates — House of Ananias — Dream- 
ful, Charmful Damascus. 

LECTURE XXXIX 
Baalbek — " City of the Sun " 414 

Railway Over Anti-Lebanon — Glorious Views — 
Zahleh, Largest Town in Lebanon — Relatively Clean 
and Intelligent — Largely Christian and European — 
Women Not Generally Veiled — Pertinacity of 
" Cabby "—Tomb of Noah— Sight of Baalbek— Its 
Names — Its History — Its Vast Temples — Their De- 
scription — How Could Stones be Transported ? — 
History of Town — Crusaders — Height Above Sea — 
Vast Stone Still at Quarry — The Three Great Stones 
— All Forms of Heathenism Perish — Jesus Christ is 
the Everlasting King. 



xxvi 



CONTENTS 



LECTURE XL 
Beirut 425 

Railway Ride from Zahleh — Hot and Tired — Con- 
fusion at Customs Examination — Hold the French 
Have in Syria — If Palestine is Divided, France 
Large Share — Beirut Largely Modern and Euro- 
pean — Good Shops — Chief Seaport in Syria — Does 
Large Trade — Early History — Derivation of the 
Names — Roman Dominion — Crusaders Under Bald- 
win — Earthquakes Destructive — Residence of Druse 
Prince — Bombarded by the English in 1840 — Cap- 
tured for the Turks — After Massacre of Christians in 
Damascus, i860, Population of Beirut Rapidly In- 
creased — Town Prosperous Since — Official Repre- 
sentatives of Many Faiths — American Mission Work 
Greatly Prospered — Noble American Missionaries — 
Beneficent Influence of Christianity — Gone Out 
Through All Syria — Protestant Missions and Schools 
Stirred up Romanists and even Mohammedans — 
Woman Honored — Leaving Palestine — Star of Hope 
in the Dark Sky — Now for " the Isles of Greece." 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



i 

THE LAND OF THE BOOK 

PALESTINE has been known at various pe- 
riods by different names. Sometimes it 
has been called " The Land of Canaan," from 
the original settler, Canaan, the fourth son of 
Ham, who divided it among his eleven sons, 
each of whom became finally the head of a dis- 
tinct people. The name Canaan applied es- 
pecially to the country west of the Jordan, as 
opposed to " The Land of Gilead " on the east. 
It has also been called "The Land of Promise," 
because of the promise given to Abraham that it 
should be possessed by his posterity. It has also 
been known as " The Land of the Hebrew," as 
the descendants of Abraham were called He- 
brews, the word " Hebrew " meaning " crossed 
over," and being applied by the Canaanites to 
Abraham upon his crossing the Euphrates ; or, 
perhaps the word came from Eber, the last of 
the long-lived patriarchs. Sometimes it was 
named " The Laud of Israel," from the Israelites, 
or posterity of Jacob, who there found a home. 
This name occurs frequently in the Old Testa- 



2 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ment ; it included at one time the tract of 
ground on both sides of the Jordan given by 
God to the Hebrews for an inheritance. Later, 
however, the term was often restricted to the 
territory occupied by the ten tribes. It is also 
called "The Land of Judah." This title was 
limited originally to the territory occupied by 
the tribe of Judah ; but, after the separation of 
the ten tribes, " The Land of Judah " included 
the territories which belonged both to Judah and 
Benjamin; and the whole country, including 
that beyond Jordan, retained this name even 
under the dominion of the Romans. 

" The Holy Land " is a name which seems to 
have been used by the Hebrews during and 
after their captivity in Babylon. This name, 
"Terra Saitcta" or "Holy Land," was the most 
common one throughout the Middle Ages. The 
name " Palestine," or the land of the immigrant, 
was originally synonymous with Philistia ; but 
later the term was applied to the whole land 
of the Israelites. The Philistines probably came 
from Caphtor — which is variously understood to 
mean Crete, Egypt, Cyprus, or Cappadocia — and 
expelled the aboriginal inhabitants, and then 
settled on the shores of the Mediterranean. The 
population increased so that probably it was not 
less than five million in the most prosperous 
times in the history of Israel ; the population 
of Syria is now estimated to be two million 
seven hundred and fifty thousand. 

Canaan was bounded on the west by the Medi- 
terranean Sea, on the north by the high ranges 



THE LAND OF THE BOOK 



3 



of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, on the east by 
Arabia Deserta, and on the south by Edom and 
the desert of Zin and Paran. These boundaries 
may be differently described according to the 
nomenclature which may be chosen. The size 
of the country varied at different times ; but its 
extreme length seems to have been from one 
hundred and forty to one hundred and eighty 
miles, and its average width from forty to sixty 
miles. It contained an area of nearly eleven 
thousand five hundred square miles, more or 
less, according to the changes in its boundaries. 

The country lay on the extreme western edge 
of the East. Asia seemed to have rejected this 
strip of land, impassable deserts separating it 
from Mesopotamia and Arabia. It lies on the 
shore of the Mediterranean, as if waiting to send 
out its influence to the new world. It became 
the highway for communication between Egypt 
and Assyria. Like the Netherlands in Europe, 
it was the arena on which for successive ages 
hostile powers fought their battles and con- 
tended for the control of vast empires. It lay 
in the center of the great countries of antiquity, 
and yet was remarkably isolated. In area and 
conformation, the country has been frequently 
compared to the State of New Hampshire. 

Few countries are more beautifully diversified 
than Canaan, with its mountains, plains, rivers, 
and valleys. It is essentially a mountainous 
country; its principal mountains are Lebanon, 
Carmel, Tabor, Gilead, Hermon, and the Mount 
of Olives. The plains of the Mediterranean, of 



4 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Bsdraelon, and of Jericho are associated with his- 
toric events of the greatest importance. These 
and some other plains, together with some gen- 
eral features of the country, are worthy of addi- 
tional comment. The plain of Lebanon is the 
valley enclosed between the mountain ranges of 
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. Strictly speaking, 
this plain does not belong to Palestine proper, 
although the greater part of it was included in 
the extensive dominion of Solomon. It is a 
plain of about ninety miles long from north to 
south, and from ten to twelve miles in width, 
widening at the northern, and narrowing at the 
southern end. There is probably no plain in Pal- 
estine or Syria more rich and beautiful than this 
one. In it the soil is good, and the water is 
abundant ; but at certain seasons of the year the 
heat is very great. The valley has been re- 
nowned in all ages for its fertility and beauty ; 
but unfortunately only a small part of it is now 
cultivated. 

By the plain of the Jordan we understand the 
shores of the lakes through which the river 
flows, as well as the valley which the river 
waters. In portions of this plain the heat is 
great and, as a consequence, the fruits and trees 
of more tropical climes than Palestine are here 
found. If only water were abundant, nearly all 
parts of the valley would be very fertile ; but 
parts of the plain are barren and desolate, the 
great heat in the absence of water destroying 
rather than promoting vegetation. The plain 
of Jericho is a broader opening in the plain of 



THE LAND OF THE BOOK 



5 



the Jordan near the Dead Sea. This plain in- 
cludes the plain of Moab on the east as well 
as that of Jericho on the west side of the Jor- 
dan. The fertility of this plain, wherever water 
abounds therein, has long been celebrated. Jo- 
sephus spoke of it as a " divine region." His 
description of its beautiful gardens, and its 
groves of palm trees, is corroborated by the ref- 
erences to it in various parts of the Bible. Jer- 
.. icho is distinctly called " The City of Palm 
Trees." These earlier features of this valley 
have altogether disappeared; for long periods 
one solitary palm tree lingered. The spices 
which in the early day gave great value to this 
neighborhood are now almost wholly unknown. 

Of the plain of Esdraelon I shall speak at 
length. It is sufficient, however, at this point 
to say that it is the great battlefield of the na- 
tions. It is known as the valley of Megiddo 
and as the valley of Jezreel ; and Josephus calls 
it the Great Plain. Its soil has been moistened 
with the blood of nearly all the nations under 
heaven. So important a feature is it in any his- 
torical or topographical account of Palestine 
that I have given up a chapter to its description. 
The plain of the Coast, or the Maritime Plain, is 
a tract of land extending along the shores of the 
Mediterranean and reaching to the mountains. 
Occasional promontories push out into" the sea ; 
but, speaking generally, the coast may be de- 
scribed as an extensive plain. The portion be- 
tween Mount Carmel and Joppa is often called 
the valley of Sharon ; and the portion extend- 



6 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ing from Joppa to Gaza is sometimes known 
simply as the Plain, to distinguish it from the 
hill-country of Judah. 

The face of Palestine possesses marked fea- 
tures. It has often been described by saying that 
four belts run from north to south. The first of 
these is the Maritime Plain, on the seacoast ; the 
second is the central belt of mountains ; the 
third is the broad valley of the Jordan ; and the 
fourth is the table-land east of the Jordan. The 
chief rivers are the Jordan, the Leontes, the 
Arnon, the Sihor, the Jabbok, and the Kishon. 

The most remarkable feature of the country 
is the Jordan and its valley. It extends from 
the north to the south, dividing the country 
into two parts. This valley is really a deep 
chasm, being everywhere below the level of the 
sea. It produces a marked effect upon the re- 
gions which border it, and also upon the cli- 
matic conditions of the country. This chasm 
gives the appearance at times of rugged gran- 
deur, and at other times of extreme desolation, to 
the receding or abrupt shores of the valley. 
The valley is about ten miles wide from brow to 
brow, increasing its width at the Sea of Galilee 
and the Dead Sea. No one can study the 
topography of Palestine without giving atten- 
tion to the striking peculiarities of the Jordan 
Valley. There is, perhaps, no country in which 
there is so marked a feature as this deep valley. 
The Jordan is the only important river of the 
country. I^ater in this volume, its rise on the 
western slopes of Mount Hermon, its various 



THE LAND OF THE BOOK 



7 



features, its passage through Lake Huleh, its 
descent to, and passage through, the Sea of Gal- 
ilee, and then its sinuous course until it finally 
empties into the Dead Sea at a depth of one 
thousand three hundred feet below the Mediter- 
ranean, are fully described. 

The other rivers for the most part flow for 
only a part of the year. The Kishon is that 
"ancient river" by whose rapid waters the hosts 
of Sisera were carried away. It is in constant 
flow during only a few miles in the latter part 
of its course. The Jabbok, meaning "pouring 
out," is a perennial stream which intersects the 
mountain-range of Gilead, and which flows into 
the Jordan about midway between the sea of 
Galilee and the Dead Sea. The eastern branch 
of this stream is dry in the summer. The Sihor, 
meaning "black, turbid," is a winter torrent now 
called " Wady el-Arish." Some think that this 
is the Hebrew proper name for the Nile, and 
doubtless it does sometimes mean the Nile. It 
flows northwest into the Mediterranean, about 
forty-five miles southwest of Gaza. The Arnon, 
meaning "roaring," rises in the mountains east 
of the Dead Sea into which it empties. It is 
now called "Wady el-Modjeb." Anciently it di- 
vided the territory of the Moabites from that of 
the Amorites, and later that of Moab from the 
Reubenites. It flows in the wild ravine bearing 
the same name. In the bottom of this ravine 
the heat in summer is very great and the river 
flows then in but a small stream ; but during the 
rainy season it is an impetuous torrent. The 



8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ancient river Leontes, the modern Litany, drains 
the valley of Ccele-Syria ; it runs southwest in a 
straight line parallel to the coast, and falls into 
the Mediterranean five miles above Tyre. High 
up in Lebanon there are other streams of classic 
celebrity which rush through deep glens, " to 
stain with their ruddy waters the transparent 
bosom of the Mediterranean." There are rivers 
of biblical fame not mentioned in this list, but 
it is sufficiently complete in an outline statement 
of the characteristics of Palestine. 

The lakes or seas are the Dead Sea, the Sea of 
Galilee, and Lake Merom. In the text of this 
volume full descriptions of these seas are given, 
so far as the facts can be learned by the most 
recent investigations. They are worthy of care- 
ful study in an examination of the topography 
of the Holy Land. 

At the northern boundary are the lofty peaks 
of Lebanon and Hermon. Lebanon succeeds the 
high table-land of Galilee. It rises in a region 
whose height is shown by its gradual slope on all 
sides but the north ; on the east it slopes toward 
the Jordan, on the west to the plain of Acre, and 
on the south to the plain of Esdraelon. The 
name Lebanon signifies " white " ; the name 
came either from the snow which during the 
greater part of the year covers its summit, or 
from the white color of its limestone cliffs. Its 
name makes it the " Mont Blanc " of Palestine. 
Of Mount Hermon there will be occasion to 
speak frequently in the course of these lectures ; 
but here it will be permitted to say a few words. 



THE LAND OF THE BOOK 



9 



The word probably means "prominent, lofty." 
Of its other names and their meanings, mention 
will be made later. It is really the southern 
part and culminating point of the Anti-Lebanon 
range. It is about forty miles northeast of the 
Sea of Galilee, and thirty west by south of Da- 
mascus. It towers above the ancient city of 
Dan and the fountains of the Jordan. Its three 
peaks form a triangle enclosing a plain. It is 
crowned with snow in some of its parts through- 
out the year. The fresh snow begins to fall upon 
it as early as November, until finally it extends 
five thousand feet downward from its summit. 
But little snow remains upon it by September. 
The ice then is seen glittering in stripes, and has 
been compared to the snowy locks of an old man. 
It is by far the most conspicuous and beautiful 
mountain in Palestine or Syria. It is not neces- 
sary here to speak of the mountains of Samaria 
and of Judea, as they will be mentioned in con- 
nection with local descriptions. 

The climate of Palestine varies, corresponding 
in some degree to the annual changes in other 
countries ; but the variations are confined chiefly 
to the latter part of autumn and winter. During 
the rest of the year the sky is, for the most part, 
cloudless, and rain is very rare. It usually com- 
mences in the latter part of October or early 
November. The rains come mostly from the 
west and southwest, and fall especially in the 
night. They often are abundant in the latter 
part of November and throughout December. 
The cold of the winter is not great ; but snow- 



IO SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



storms are known in Jerusalem, and snow falls 
more or less in many other parts of the land. 
The heat in summer is of course oppressive in 
the low-lying valleys ; but the nights are gener- 
ally cool, and the dew is always very heavy. 
The absence of rain in summer soon parches the 
verdure of the fields, so that in autumn the 
whole country is dry, and streams and cisterns 
are often empty. The climate is considered 
healthful, and the people are long-lived. Were 
it not for the fact that the people are poorly fed, 
and that many of them are most uncleanly in 
their habits, fevers and all kinds of sickness 
would be rare. If sanitary conditions were 
properly observed in Jerusalem, that city, be- 
cause of its elevation, cloudless skies, and invig- 
orating air, would be a remarkably healthful 
place ; and, but for these favorable conditions, 
the filthy habits of the people would generate 
diseases which would be extremely destructive. 

Although the country is so small, it has vari- 
eties of climate, of production, and of fauna and 
flora, characteristic of many other countries of 
much greater size. Lying as it does between 
great empires, it always has been the highway 
for the nations of the earth. These facts give it 
special interest to us as the birthplace of the 
Bible, intended to be the book of all climes and 
centuries. There are in the Bible evidences of 
the great varieties of climate and production 
characteristic of this remarkable country, and 
conducive to the value of the Bible as a uni- 
versal book. There is not space here to enlarge 



THE LAND OF THE BOOK 



II 



upon these details, nor upon the various religions 
found in Syria and Palestine. Full particulars 
regarding these matters are easily to be had in 
handbooks and histories on this historic land. 
The Holy Land is but a speck on the map of the 
world, and yet it is difficult to overestimate the 
importance of its place in the history of the race. 
It seems especially small when contrasted with 
the territories of Egypt and Assyria between 
which it lies. It has been said that the entire 
land can be seen from some of its lofty emi- 
nences ; that Hermon is visible from the south- 
ern end of the Dead Sea, and that the eye can 
take in at a glance points as opposite as the Sea 
of Galilee and the bay of Akka. It is startling 
to reflect that so small a country has been the 
theater of events so far-reaching in their influence 
on the destiny of all nations and all centuries. 
Dean Stanley has well said that : 

Above all other countries in the world, it is now a land of 
ruins. In Judea it is hardly an exaggeration to say that, 
while for miles and miles there is no appearance of present 
life or habitation, except the occasional goatherd on the 
hillside, or the gathering of women at the wells, there is 
hardly a hilltop of the many within sight which is not cov- 
ered with the vestiges of some fortress or city of former 
ages. The ruins we now see are of the most distant ages : 
Saracenic, Crusading, Roman, Grecian, Jewish, extending 
perhaps even to the old Canaanitish remains before the 
arrival of Joshua. 

The present inhabitants represent many nation- 
alities and religious creeds. The most numerous 
sect are the Mohammedans ; they consist of 



12 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



official Turks, and of a mixture of the Arab, 
Greek, Assyrian, and other races. The native 
Christians are mostly descendants of the early 
Syrian Christians. Great changes have taken 
place as to population and industries during the 
last few years. Now, many thousand Jews from 
Spain, Poland, and Germany, have homes in 
various parts of the lands of their fathers. It 
would not be surprising if in a few years the 
Turkish power in Palestine were broken, and the 
land were completely divided, parts falling to 
Russia, Germany, France, and Great Britain. It 
has long been the dream of many nations that 
one of their number shall yet be crowned in the 
city of David. Those who hold that Queen 
Victoria is a lineal descendant of King David, 
naturally look forward to the British realization 
of this dream. At all events, it is certain that 
great changes must come to this ancient land 
before many years shall pass. If the misgovern- 
ment of " the unspeakable Turk " should cease, 
and the country should come under the wise rule 
of an intelligent European and Christian power, 
the country would again be " a land flowing with 
milk and honey." In these conditions it would 
be literally true that, " Instead of the thorn shall 
come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier 
shall come up the myrtle tree : and it shall be to 
the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that 
shall not be cut off." 



II 



JOPPA — " BEAUTY " 

WE sailed from Alexandria to Joppa, or 
Jaffa — Arabic, Yafa ; Hebrew, Japho. 
The sea was rough, and the trip was one of 
marked discomfort. The Austrian-L,loyd steam- 
ers are much preferable to the Egyptian steam- 
ers, on one of which this journey was made. 
Jaffa seems extremely beautiful as one ap- 
proaches it by sea. Gazing upon this city rising 
from the sea, the traveler experiences strange 
emotions. As a rule, this is the first point of the 
Holy Eand on which his eye rests. Can it be 
possible that he is looking upon a part of that 
land which is sacred above all the lands of the 
earth : the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; 
the land of Rachel and Ruth ; the land of Caleb 
and Joshua ; the land of David and Solomon ; 
the land of the evangelists and the apostles ; the 
land of Jesus Christ, son of Mary and Son of God ! 
Wonderful memories, tender associations, and 
glowing hopes, fill the soul with the first sight of 
this historic shore. Away yonder, among the 
hills, the prophets of Israel taught, and the Sav- 
iour of men lived and died ; and in and about 
this town of Jaffa classical legends and biblical 
truths cluster. Out of this often stormy road- 

13 



SUNDAY NIGKT LECTURES 



stead Jonah sailed on his tempestuous and im- 
mortal voyage. The harbor of Jaffa is shoal and 
unprotected from the winds, although it is one 
of the chief seaports of the Holy Land. It was 
the only port of the Israelites until Herod formed 
the harbor at Csesarea ; thus it was here, as will 
be seen later, that the timber from Lebanon for 
the first and second temples was landed. 

Jaffa is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea 
about thirty miles south of Csesarea and nearly 
forty miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was and 
still is one of the chief landing-places of pilgrims 
from all parts of the world. But it is and always 
has been naturally unfit for a harbor. Josephus 
speaks of it in this respect in language similar 
to that which we must still employ. There is 
really no harbor, and the coast is dangerous. 
When the sea is rough, pilgrims and tourists are 
obliged to go to Haifa, or to Beirut. The surf 
rolls in with such violence at times that deaths 
by drowning are not uncommon. As late as 
1842, a lieutenant and some sailors were lost 
while trying to land from an English steamer. 
The boat which comes now to receive travelers, 
seems at times as if it were to dive under the 
ship, and at other times as if it would be thrown 
thereon. The boatmen of Jaffa are among the 
bravest and most skillful of their class in the 
world. The present town is situated on a prom- 
ontory one hundred and fifty feet high. On 
all sides it offers varied and most picturesque 
prospects. On the west lies the open sea ; toward 
the south are the fertile plains of Philistia; 



JOPPA — " BEAUTY " 



15 



toward the north, as far as Carmel, are the 
flowery meadows of Sharon ; and to the east the 
towering hills of Ephraim and Jndah rise in 
grandeur. Jaffa was the port of Jerusalem in the 
days of Solomon, and to a considerable degree, it 
has remained so ever since. 

There is a classical Jaffa. Some affirm that 
the word Yafa means beauty, but its etymology 
is variously explained. The origin of the name 
is involved in much doubt. Some suppose that 
it is derived from Japhet, the son of Noah, and it 
is claimed by some geographers that a city ex- 
isted here before the flood ; but others affirm that 
the name comes from Iopa, the daughter of 
iEolus, and wife of Cepheus, Andromeda's father. 
Those who give this derivation make Jaffa the 
scene of the legend of Andromeda, who was 
bound to the rocks in order that she might be 
devoured by the sea monster, but was delivered 
by Perseus, who slew the monster. The fact 
that it was a prominent seaport, gave it a classi- 
cal as well as a biblical history. On the site of 
Jaffa the Phoenician mariners dwelt. Before 
Rome or Athens had a history, these hardy sea- 
men sent their ships over the "Great Sea." 
They seem to have introduced science and civili- 
zation into the western world. It is said that in 
Pliny's time the chains were shown with which 
it was claimed Andromeda had been bound. 
Throughout the Roman period, and down to the 
sixteenth century, the place was shown on the 
rocks of the harbor where she had been exposed, 
and the chains and iron rings were preserved as 



1 6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



mementos of the myth. The bones of some 
marine monster were taken to Rome and long 
exhibited as an object of curiosity. It will be 
remembered that in the legend Perseus is repre- 
sented as having plunged his dagger into the 
right shoulder of the monster. Perhaps the real 
monster was the stormy coast, which had swal- 
lowed up so many men and women during all 
the years that Jaffa was a seaport ; and perhaps 
the slaying of the monster was the improvement 
of the harbor, the roar of whose waves as they 
dashed on the rocks was as loud as the barking 
of Scylla or Charybdis. The chains and rings 
shown were, perhaps, those used by the Romans 
for mooring their vessels to the rocks. Sir J. W. 
Dawson, in his volume entitled, " Egypt and 
Syria," tells us that "the rock on which Jaffa 
stands, and which extends under the whole of 
the Maritime Plain, is a soft sandstone," which 
" shelters it and gives it such apology for harbor 
as it possesses." 

There is also a biblical Jaffa, or Joppa, as it is 
called in the Scripture narrative. We know 
that it became the port of Jerusalem when Jeru- 
salem became the metropolis of the kingdom. 
This place thus occupies a large space in the 
Bible. In Joshua (19 : 46) it is called Japho, 
and is there described as in the boundaries of 
Dan. When we come to the time of Solomon, 
we have Hiram, king of Tyre, saying in his con- 
tract : " My servants shall bring them down from 
Lebanon unto the sea ; and I will convey them 
by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt 



JOPPA — " BEAUTY " 



17 



appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged 
there." 1 We see also that it was agreed that 
Solomon then assumed responsibility, " And 
thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem." 2 This 
material was for the erection of the first " house 
of habitation " ever made by man as the special 
residence of the invisible Jehovah. It will be 
noticed that the contract with King Hiram is 
very exactly drawn in all its details. The re- 
sponsibility of Solomon began when the timber 
was landed in Jaffa. He was very careful on his 
part to oblige King Hiram to land the timber, 
because of the difficulties inseparable from this 
stormy sea and rocky coast. King Hiram on his 
part was careful that his responsibility should 
cease when the timber was thus landed, and that 
the responsibility of the enormous task of carry- 
ing it up to Jerusalem should devolve on Solo- 
mon himself. It was by way of Jaffa also that 
materials were brought from Lebanon, by per- 
mission of Cyrus, for the rebuilding of the second 
temple under Zerubbabel. 3 When we come to 
the time of Jonah, 4 we see that he, when fleeing 
from the presence of the Lord, went down to 
Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. We 
have in Matt. 12 : 40 an allusion to this part 
of the history of Jonah as in some sense typical 
of a portion of that of our Lord's. Perhaps no 
historic event is more closely associated with 
Joppa than the fact that Jonah sailed from this 
port on his remarkable voyage. One still thinks 



1 I Kings 5:9. 2 2 Chron. 2 : 16. 3 Ezra 3 : 7. 4 Jonah 1 : 3. 

B 



i8 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



of him threading his way through these streets 
and hastening to get on board the ship which 
was waiting in the harbor. In Joppa the Apos- 
tle Peter raised Dorcas to life. 1 It is certain that 
at the time when this miracle was performed a 
considerable number of Jews dwelt in Joppa, and 
among them were some who had become disci- 
ples of Christ. Dorcas was one of these. It is 
said of her that she was " full of good works and 
almsdeeds " ; but good and noble as she was, she 
died and, as was to be expected, she was beloved 
and lamented by all. The Apostle Peter was at 
Lydda, where he had just restored Eneas to 
health. 2 Thither messengers were sent beseech- 
ing him to come to the help of those in Joppa 
who sorrowed over the death of Dorcas. One 
may well turn to this account and read it as he 
visits the reputed places in this historic town. 
While the Apostle Peter was in Joppa, he lodged 
at the house of one Simon, the tanner. 3 This 
house is still shown. On the afternoon of my 
first day in Joppa I hastened to visit the house 
and to climb to its roof. It is now a sort of 
Mohammedan mosque. From its flat roof I 
gazed out on the sea and sky. These two ele- 
ments of the view at least are the same as when 
the Apostle Peter gazed upon them from this or 
some other house in Joppa. This house will be 
forever memorable as the place where, in the 
wonderful vision, which has been called " vision 
of tolerance," the apostle learned that he was not 



1 Acts 9 : 36-43. 2 Acts 9 : 32, 33. 3 Acts 9 : 43. 



JOPPA — u BEAUTY 



19 



to call any class of persons unclean, and that God 
intended to include the Gentiles as truly as the 
Jews in the church of Christ. 1 Dean Stanley 
seems to think that this may be the very house, 
or at least the location of the house, on whose 
roof Peter had this remarkable vision. From its 
roof one still sees the long sweep of the Mediter- 
ranean Sea. Here are the boats, and here the 
boatmen standing on the shore, or wading 
among the waters, or rowing their boats over 
the stormy waves ; and here is still the sky in its 
cloudless and Oriental beauty. 

There is also a secular Joppa. The history of 
Joppa both previous to the Christian era and sub- 
sequent to that time, is deeply interesting. In the 
period between the last of the prophets and the 
birth of Christ it was a place of great importance. 
Having sided with Apollonius, it was captured 
by Jonathan Maccabseus and here he met Ptolemy. 
Joppa was re-established as the haven, and when 
peace was restored, fortifications were rebuilt. 
During the Maccabsean wars, Greeks, Syrians, and 
Egyptians cruelly ruled over the Jewish inhab- 
itants of Joppa. One is not surprised that Judas 
Maccabseus took swift and terrible revenge when 
he attacked the town, and burned the shipping. 
Joppa was necessarily the key to an important 
district, and as such it had a great share in all 
the wars waged against Palestine and Syria. 
Pompey invaded Syria, b. c. 63, and included 
Joppa in that province ; finally, after having 



Acts 10 : 9-23. 



2<D SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



been in the possession of Herod the Great and 
Archelaus, it became a part of the world-embrac- 
ing Roman Empire. Josephus tells us that in 
the last Jewish war eighty thousand of its inhab- 
itants were slain by Cestius. Vespasian destroyed 
the town, which had been rebuilt and occupied 
by pirates, who ravaged the coast. In Strabo's 
time it was notorious as a den of robbers. Dur- 
ing the early period of the Christian era Joppa 
became the seat of a bishop ; in the time of the 
crusades heathen and Christian took and retook 
Joppa many times. It was in the possession of 
the forces of Godfrey of Bouillon previously to 
the capture of Jerusalem. The place was largely 
deserted, and soon fell practically into ruin, as 
the crusaders cared but little for the town, as a 
whole, limiting themselves to the citadel. For 
long years it remained in almost utter decay, 
there being no habitable house in this once pros- 
perous city. It is not possible, however, in the 
limits of this lecture, to trace its history with 
fullness of detail. Finally it came into the pos- 
session of the Turks ; since which time it has 
been three times sacked, — by the Arabs in 1722, 
by the Mamelukes in 1775, and by Napoleon in 
1799. "The massacre of Jaffa" leaves an indel- 
ible stain on the career of Napoleon. Four thou- 
sand Albanians surrendered on the promise of 
protection, but with their hands tied behind them 
they were marched out and shot. A part of the 
present Armenian convent is shown as the place 
where Napoleon is said to have poisoned five 
hundred sick soldiers in the plague hospital. 



JOPPA — " BEAUTY " 



21 



The Joppa of to-day is also a singularly interest- 
ing place. As already stated, the town rises ab- 
ruptly and beautifully from the sea, but a closer 
examination shows that it is crowded into as lit- 
tle space as possible. On entering it one finds 
that the streets, like those of most Oriental towns, 
are inconveniently narrow and exceedingly filthy. 
They are crowded with camels, donkeys, horses 
and dogs, and also with men less cleanly than 
the animals. In dry weather the streets are a 
desert of dust, and in wet weather they are seas 
of mud. The town was walled on the south and 
east, and also on the north and west, but these 
walls have been taken down and the stones have 
been sold by the government for various build- 
ings. Away from the shore the environs are full 
of gardens of much beauty and fruitfulness. The 
population is probably about twenty-five thou- 
sand and it is constantly increasing. There are 
several thousand Christians, also a few Jews, and 
the rest of the population are Mohammedans. 
Joppa contains three convents, L,atin, Greek, and 
Armenian, and many mosques and bazaars. The 
chief manufacture of the town is soap, not much 
of which, however, would seem to be used with- 
in its own limits. The orange groves are exten- 
sive and excellent. On some trees there are 
hundreds of ripe and luscious oranges, which are 
considered the finest in all Palestine and Syria. 
The aroma from these gardens, especially in the 
morning and the evening, fills all the atmosphere. 
Millions of oranges are annually exported from 
Joppa to London and to other markets. Lemons, 



22 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



pomegranates, and watermelons abound. The 
gardens and orchards are admirably protected, as 
are many villages in Palestine, by hedges of the 
prickly cactus. 

The school, under the direction of Miss Arnott, 
and the hospital for natives, under the care of 
Miss Newton, are institutions worthy of a visit 
and of generous support by all visitors. In 1866, 
outside the Jaffa gate, an American colony was 
organized ; it was made up of Americans from 
Maine, New Hampshire, and other parts of New 
England. It was under the direction of a second 
adventist named Adams ; but it is understood that 
he fell from grace ; and when the " Quaker City " 
visited Jaffa it took many of the colonists to 
Egypt, whence many finally came back to Amer- 
ica, having been assisted by their American 
friends. There are houses still standing in this 
part of Jaffa which were taken from different 
parts of New England, all ready to be erected 
when they should reach their destination. The 
ruins still remain of the New England meeting- 
house erected by these colonists, and it, as well as 
the little homes, bear the marks in their clapboards 
and blinds of New England taste and handicraft. 
A few of the colonists remained, marrying differ- 
ent nationalities, and they brought up their fam- 
ilies in this far-off land with many New England 
peculiarities of speech and methods of living. 
The foreign colony is now largely German, there 
being perhaps a hundred German families in the 
part of the town once occupied by the Americans. 
They are known as the "Friends of Jerusalem." 



JOPPA — " BEAUTY " 



23 



There are colonists holding similar views in 
other parts of Palestine. Owing to its location, 
Jaffa is the home of fugitives and vagabonds 
from many countries. 

One is deeply impressed, as he wanders through 
the streets of Jaffa, with its varied historic mem- 
ories, its present peculiarities, and its great pos- 
sibilities. He can but remember that near this 
sea wall many mighty men have landed, from the 
days of Solomon to the beginning of the Chris- 
tian era, from the time of Tiglath-Pileser to Rich- 
ard Coeur de I/ion. Here the pilgrim to the 
Holy Land generally first touches that sacred 
soil. Unattractive as are the streets of Jaffa, the 
tourist begins to feel the strange charm of Ori- 
ental associations and especially of biblical memo- 
ries. He knows that soon he will be able to say : 

I tread in the paths where the patriarchs trod ; 
I visit the haunts of the prophets of God ; 
The foot of my Saviour hath hallowed this sod. 



Ill 



" GOING UP TO JERUSALEM " 
HERB is now a railway from Jaffa to Jeru- 



X salem. Some tourists, however, prefer to 
go by carriage or on horseback. Either of these 
latter methods gives travelers a better opportu- 
nity to see the country as a whole, and to study 
any particular locality in which they are spe- 
cially interested. Some go only as far as Ram- 
leh during the first day, and complete the jour- 
ney on the second day. Going by carriage or 
on horseback the road from Jaffa leads through 
gardens of oranges, lemons, and pomegranates. 
Soon the traveler comes to the so-called tomb of 
Dorcas, or at least to the place reputed to be that 
where she was raised to life ; later, after leaving 
the gardens, the plain of Sharon is entered. 
This plain reaches from Jaffa to Csesarea, and 
from the central hills to the Mediterranean. It 
has long been celebrated for its fruitfulness, and 
for its varied forms of beauty. It has a large 
place both in song and story, as well as in the 
figurative allusions contained in the Bible. It 
still produces grass and flowers in great abun- 
dance and variety ; if properly cultivated, it would 
be one of the gardens of the world. This re- 
mark will apply, in part at least, to many other 




"GOING UP TO JERUSALEM " 



25 



portions of Palestine. This plain has been for 
thousands of years the great thoroughfare from 
Jaffa to Jerusalem for prophets and apostles, for 
crusaders, pilgrims, and for all kinds of tourists. 
If one will but stop to think of all that this plain 
represents in this regard, the scenes of the past 
will again live before the mind with great vivid- 
ness and power. 

Lydda. — Lydda is the Greek form of the name, 
which appears in Hebrew as Lud or Lod. In the 
general change of names which marked the 
Roman dominion it became Diospolis, " City of 
Zeus " ; and by this name it is often mentioned 
by Busebius and Jerome. It is situated from 
nine to ten miles east of Jaffa, on the direct road 
to Jerusalem. It was originally occupied by the 
Benjamites. It was at this place that the Apos- 
tle Peter healed Eneas, the account of which 
healing we have in Acts 9 : 32-35. It is said 
that in the time of Cassius I^onginus, after the 
death of Julius Caesar, all of the inhabitants were 
sold into slavery. The town was burned by Ces- 
tius Gallus when on his way from Ceesarea to 
Jerusalem. When he entered the city most of 
the people were absent at the feast of Taber- 
nacles in Jerusalem. About two weeks later he 
hastened past its ruins flying for his life before 
the infuriated Jews of the holy city. Later it was 
famous for its very learned rabbinical school 
under the second Gamaliel. The Christian 
church was organized here at a very early period 
in the Christian era. In 445 an ecclesiastical 



26 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



council was held at Lydda, at which Pelagius 
defended himself. Soon after the founding of 
Ramleh, Lydda lost its importance. In 1191 it 
was destroyed by Saladin, but was soon rebuilt, 
only to be sacked by the Mongols in 1271. Al- 
though situated on the principal caravan road 
between Egypt and Syria, it has never gained its 
former importance. 

We find frequent mention of Lydda in the his- 
tory of the crusades. It is located in the midst 
of extensive plains composed of rich soil, capable 
of being extremely fruitful. Its chief attraction 
now is the church of St. George, whose stately 
ruins carry us back to the Middle Ages and per- 
petuate the name of the saint and martyr who, 
it is claimed, was burned and buried here. There 
is a tradition among the Mohammedans that on 
the last day Christ will slay Antichrist at the 
gate of Lydda ; but this is supposed to be simply 
a distorted version of one of the legends of St. 
George and the Dragon. The English crusaders 
adopted St. George as their saint and even as the 
patron of England, and around his name many a 
remarkable legend has gathered. Churches were 
erected in Lydda in the sixteenth and seven- 
teenth centuries by an English king, but the 
church of St. George is now in possession of the 
Greeks, who restored it a few years ago. Parts 
of this church can be distinguished which are, 
perhaps, as old as the twelfth century. Beneath 
is the crypt which it is said contained the tomb 
of St. George. Some traditions affirm that Justin- 
ian reared a church here to the memory of St. 



" GOING UP TO JERUSALEM " 



2 7 



George, but that the Saracens destroyed it in the 
eighth century ; that it was completed by the 
crusaders, destroyed by Saladin, and finally re- 
built by Richard Coeur de Lion. It is easy to 
see that the present church was erected of various 
materials and at different periods. 

One meets at Lydda a painfully large number 
of people who are afflicted with diseases of the 
eyes. Their appearance is often loathsome. 
There is in Lydda a proverb that every man has 
either but one eye or no eyes. 

RamlEH. — We are making our journey by 
railway and in a few minutes after leaving Lydda 
the train reaches Ramleh. This is really an in- 
teresting place. The town is supposed to have 
been founded as early as 716 by Khalif Sulei- 
man. The name is of Arabic origin, and is sup- 
posed to mean "sand." In 870 the town was 
called Ramula. It is believed to have been at*/ 
one time larger than Jerusalem. By many the 
town was thought to occupy the site of the an- 
cient Arimathea, but this tradition cannot be 
traced beyond the thirteenth century ; it was also 
believed that the Latin convent stood on the site 
of the house of Nicodemus ; but all these tradi- 
tions are now held in very little esteem. We 
know that before the time of the crusades Chris- 
tian churches flourished at Ramleh. In 1099 a 
bishopric of Lydda and Ramleh was founded. 
Ramleh was twice captured by the Saracens 
during the war between the Franks and Saladin. 
In the truce between Richard of England and 



28 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Saladin, made in 1192, it was agreed that the 
plain from Joppa to Tyre, including part of Ram- 
leh and Lydda, should be in the possession of the 
Christians. In 1202 Ramleh was wholly Chris- 
tian ; but after the fifteenth century the town fell 
into decay. We are told that in the Latin mon- 
astery Napoleon once had his headquarters. 

There is to-day a population of about eight 
thousand, nearly one thousand of whom are 
Greek Christians. The orchards in the vicinity 
are numerous, fertile, and beautiful, and one is 
gratified with their fragrance ; but the town it- 
self is wretched and abominable. As usual in 
these Eastern cities, the streets are narrow and 
dirty. Ophthalmic diseases are very common 
here as at Lydda ; their prevalence is attributed 
by some to the sand that often fills the air, and 
by others to the small thorns of the prickly pear 
which, when the fruit is ripe, are blown about in 
every breeze. The fields yield rich crops and 
are usually enclosed by hedges of cactus. The 
climate is unusually mild, but not very healthful. 
The chief object of interest is the tower of Ram- V 
leh ; this is square and of great beauty. Their 
are no fewer than one hundred and twenty steps 
which reach to its top. Some believe that this 
tower was part of a mosque erected by the early 
inhabitants of the town ; but others, and it would 
seem with more correctness, affirm that it was a 
Christian church built by the crusaders. There 
is an inscription which assigns the origin of this 
tower to a Moslem chieftain, but it is well known 
that but little weight can be attached to such 



" GOING UP TO JERUSALEM " 29 



an inscription. It is not uncommon to place 
inscriptions of a later date on buildings erected 
far earlier, and by those of a different faith. The 
view from the top of the tower is beautiful and 
diversified in the extreme. From this height 
the whole plain of Sharon, from the mountains 
of Judea and Samaria to the sea, can be readily 
seen. The eye is held by the magical charm, 
and the imagination is delighted. Dr. Thom- 
son calls especial attention to the beauty of this 
view at the setting of the sun : " Beautiful as 
vast, and diversified as beautiful, the eye is fasci- 
nated, the imagination enchanted, especially 
when the last rays of the setting sun light up the 
white villages which sit or hang upon the many- 
shaped declivities of the mountains." One can 
well imagine that the view seen at that time is 
suggestive of fairyland. The eye takes in Ash- 
dod, Askelon, Gath, and the country from Gaza 
in the south to Csesarea in the north, from the 
Mediterranean on the west to the mountains of 
Samaria on the east. 

The entire plain is worthy of most careful ex- 
amination ; references to it abound in the Bible. 
It is of this plain that Isaiah speaks (33 : 9) when 
he says : " The earth mourneth and languisheth : 
Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down : Sharon is 
like a wilderness " ; to it he also refers in chap. 
35 : 1, 2, but in quite a different tone, when he 
says : " The wilderness and the solitary place 
shall be glad for them ; . . the excellency of 
Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of 
the L,ord." In the Song of Solomon, reference 



30 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



is made to the "Rose of Sharon," which is sup- 
posed to be a species of narcissus or mallow 
or asphodel. This latter is sometimes called 
" Christ's blood-drop." These and other flowers 
are found at the right season in great abundance 
in this plain. Doctor Thomson regards Solo- 
mon's rose as a species of mallow. 

In journeying from Ramleh to Jerusalem one 
finds at every step on this plain suggestive illus- 
trations of Scripture references. Here is a man 
plowing, and his plow is so constructed that he 
has but one hand upon it. In the other hand he 
holds the goad with which he prods the tired 
oxen. We are at once reminded of the words of 
our Lord when he said : " No man having put 
his hand to the plow"; and also of the words 
said to the Apostle Paul, regarding his kicking 
against the pricks, when he was smitten down on 
the Damascus highway. We also notice that on 
this field there is no hedge, no fence — fences are 
unnecessary, as the people fear to incur the curse 
which should fall on him who removed his 
neighbor's landmark. A careful study of the 
characteristics of the country throws wonderful 
light on the statements of the Bible. A visit to 
the land marvelously illumines and confirms the 
book, so that "land and book" must be studied 
together. 

Other Historical Places. — Soon we come 
to the valley of Ajalon, where Joshua obtained 
the victory over the five kings of the Amorites. 
Once more we seem to hear Joshua's voice, say- 



"GOING UP TO JERUSALEM" 3 1 



ing : " Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon ; and 
thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon." 1 Did 
space permit, it would be easy to show that there 
is nothing in the language of the narrative which 
obliges us to take the words literally. The lan- 
guage here employed is a quotation from the 
book of Jasher, a book of national songs illustra- 
tive of the exploits of national heroes. It is dis- 
tinctly stated that this language is a quotation, 
and it seems clear that it is only a poetic way of 
saying that Joshua was victorious. 

Here is Jimzu, or ancient Gimzo, which was 
captured from the Israelites by the Philistines, 
with Ajalon and other places, in the reign of 
Ahaz. It stands like a fortress above the lower 
hills, like a sentinel to defend the passes beyond. 
On our left, as we resume our journey by the 
railway, are the two Beth-horons, and Gezer, — 
meaning " a precipice," — whose king was de- 
feated by Joshua. Gezer was long a strong for- 
tress of the Philistines ; it was invaded by 
David, and finally was captured by Pharaoh, who 
gave it to his daughter, who is believed to have 
been the wife of Solomon, and the place was re- 
built by Solomon. The two Beth-horons occupy 
an important place in biblical history ; they are 
the scene of one of Joshua's most famous battles. 
Joshua was summoned by the Gibeonites to come 
in great haste. They said : " Slack not thy hand 
from thy servants ; come up to us quickly, and 
save us, and help us ; for all the kings of the 



1 Josh. 10 : 12. 



32 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Amorites which dwell in the mountains are 
gathered together against us." They regarded 
their case as desperate. Joshua lost not a mo- 
ment in hastening to their relief. As in many 
battles, ancient and modern, everything depended 
upon the suddenness and sharpness of the blow 
which Joshua might strike in order to break in 
pieces the hostile confederacy. Many military 
men of our own time, who have carefully studied 
this forced march by Joshua, give him the 
greatest praise for the vigor and courage which 
he manifested, and the success which he achieved. 
On a former occasion he took three days in going 
from Gilgal to Gibeon ; but on this occasion he 
made the journey in a night. When the sun 
rose he was already at the foot of the heights of 
Gibeon where the kings were encamped. His 
presence filled his foes with alarm. The terrible 
shout and the sudden appearance of Israel were 
irresistible. The Canaanites fled down the west- 
ern pass ; a great storm from heaven, accom- 
panied with lightning, thunder, and hail, broke 
over the alarmed soldiers as they fled in disor- 
dered ranks. There on the summit of the pass 
of upper Beth-horon stood Joshua. In the dis- 
tance was the green valley of Ajalon, and the 
waters of the Mediterranean beyond ; and below 
him the Amorite host rushing onward in wild 
confusion. Over the western valley of Ajalon 
was the form of the waning moon, perhaps visi- 
ble above the hailstorm driven up from the sea. 
Must night come before the victory is complete? 
Can it be that the allies shall be rewarded with 



"GOING UP TO JERUSALEM" 33 



victor^ 7 before the day shall close ? Behold the 
picture of Joshua standing on that lofty height 
with outstretched hand and uplifted spear. God 
graciously heard his prayer ; the day did not 
close until the glorious victory was secured. 
There is not space here to enlarge upon these 
wonderfully interesting historic instances ; they 
can be simply suggested as we hasten forward on 
our journey. 

Yonder is Makkedah, where the five kings 
were found hid in a cave, 1 and here was enacted 
the last scene of an eventful day, for the five 
kings were brought out, slain, and hanged on 
five trees until the going down of the sun. Here 
is Latrun, meaning robber ; this is the native 
place, according to tradition, of the penitent 
thief, who saved Mary and Joseph from intended 
robbery by the impenitent thief. Near Latrun 
is the village of Am was, or Emmaus, but not the 
Emmaus mentioned in Luke's Gospel. Not far 
distant is Abou-gosch. This place was named 
after a famous robber who once was the terror of 
all travelers in this vicinity. Wonderful things 
come to one's mind as he remembers that in still 
more distant times this was Kirjath-jearim, the 
"City of the Woods." There is music in this 
name. The ark of God had been at Beth- 
shemesh. To that place came the men of Kir- 
jath-jearim and brought it into the house of 
Abinadab. For twenty years the ark abode 
there, during which time Israel was brought into 



Josh. 10 : 16, 17. 
C 



34 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



penitence for their sins, and led to long for the 
forgiveness of God. 

We behold Gibeon, from which place went the 
cunning inhabitants who made a league with 
Joshua, leading him to suppose that they had 
come from a far country. Their garments were 
old, their shoes were patched, and their pro- 
visions were musty, so their story was accepted. 
Joshua soon discovered the imposition that had 
been practised upon him. These people were 
really his neighbors. He permitted them to 
live, but made them hewers of wood and drawers 
of water to the whole congregation. Later, 
Gibeon became a city of the Levites ; it was 
here that God appeared to Solomon in a dream 
by night, and that Solomon received the promise 
of riches and honor. Many other interesting 
biblical facts are associated with this historic 
name. 

We have left behind us the country of Sam- 
son, in which he passed his playful boyhood. 
Yonder is Zorah, the home of Manoah and the 
birthplace of Samson. Nothing, however, is 
now left of it but a cistern, and only a wretched 
hamlet marks the site of Timnath, two miles 
west of Beth-shemesh, where Samson married 
his Philistine wife. The valley now called Sarar 
is probably the valley of Sorek, where the in- 
famous Delilah dwelt. Somewhere in this vicin- 
ity Samson killed the young lion, and in the re- 
cesses of these mountains he caught the three 
hundred jackals which carried the torches among 
the standing corn of the Philistines. 



" GOING UP TO JERUSALEM " 



35 



Nearing Jerusalem. — We hasten on our 
journey with all these suggestive places passing 
in rapid succession before our gaze. We are 
nearing Jerusalem. Other sites on the journey 
might be described, but we shall not pause to 
multiply the number of these historic places as 
we pursue our journey. We reach wonderful 
heights as we near Jerusalem. Perhaps Neby 
Samuil is the ancient Mizpeh ; if so, what mar- 
velous events have here occurred ! We take a 
broad outlook of the country before us. Beyond 
Jerusalem are the hills of Moab, forming a strik- 
ing picture in the landscape. One is impressed 
by the smallness of the country which has filled 
so large a place in sacred and secular history. 
It is only about the size of Wales, or the State 
of New Hampshire. Its estimated length is 
about one hundred and eighty miles, and its 
average breadth only about sixty miles. Its 
population is not one-half that of the State of 
New York. It is, as suggested in the introduc- 
tory chapter, divided into four easily distin- 
guished sections. There is first the Maritime 
Plain along the seacoast ; then the central belt of 
mountains ; next, the valley through which the 
Jordan flows ; and, finally, the table-land on the 
east of the Jordan. From our point of view near 
Jerusalem, all these facts are readily suggested 
to the mind of the traveler ; on one side is the 
Mediterranean, with its white sails ; on the other 
side is the range of Moab, as the eastern bound- 
ary of the country. Almost the whole land, 
from Dan to Beer-sheba, can be taken in at a 



36 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



single glance. The sun is nearing its setting ; 
we are approaching the city of the great King. 
One's pulse beats fast. The railway station is 
reached, soon we are crossing the valley of 
Hinnom. Here is the pool of Gihon ; yonder, 
rising in grim grandeur, is the tower of David ; 
here is the Jaffa Gate, — this is Jerusalem. 

We turn to the left to our hotel, outside of the 
walls. The dream of years is about to become a 
reality. The city, sacred in song and story, will 
be entered in the morning. Can one compose 
himself to sleep in the midst of such historic 
realities? Never before did the Bible story 
seem so real ; never before was Jerusalem so near 
and yet, in one sense, so far distant. With the 
dawn of the morrow, our feet will pass through 
the Jaffa Gate ; and now to-night, let us read 
with a meaning never before known, the words 
of the one hundred and twenty-second psalm. 
Thinking of the morrow, the second verse ex- 
presses our purpose as we compose ourselves to 
rest : " Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O 
Jerusalem.' 



IV 



JERUSALEM — " HABITATION OF PEACE" 

MOST travelers are disappointed with their 
first view of Jerusalem. Indeed, in the 
case of many persons, this remark will apply to 
the Holy Land as a whole. Those who visit 
Palestine expecting to have a great spiritual up- 
lift from the places which they visit, because of 
their connection with sacred scenes in the life of 
our Lord and his apostles, will assuredly be dis- 
appointed. There are but few places in Pales- 
tine, drawing a circle around which, and walking 
within that circle, one can be sure that he is 
treading the soil once trodden by the feet of the 
Son of God. With the exception of the immedi- 
ate vicinity of Jacob's Well, there are few places 
in Palestine which . one can be sure that Christ 
trod. The grotto at Bethlehem does not give us 
the certainty that we had expected, nor the sup- 
posed site of the home and other sacred places in 
Nazareth. One cannot be sure of the exact lo- 
cality in which our Lord's miracles were per- 
formed, and a vast amount of topographical ob- 
scurity hangs around all the places visited by 
our Lord. But perhaps this obscurity is greater 
at Jerusalem than at any other part of Palestine. 
The marked natural features, of course, still re- 

37 



38 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



main ; but all the details regarding definite lo- 
calities are now in hopeless doubt. The effort 
to secure fixed and limited localities must end in 
failure. Perhaps it was the divine purpose that 
we should not know Christ unduly according to 
the flesh. We know that M. Renan has testified 
that : " All that history which at a distance 
seemed to float in the clouds of an unreal world 
took instantly a body, a solidity, which astonished 
me. The striking accord between the text and 
the places, the marvelous harmony of the evan- 
gelical picture, with the country which served 
as its frame, were to me as a revelation." The 
truth of Renan's words every intelligent visitor 
to the Holy L,and can appreciate ; but those who 
go expecting that their visit will throw wonderful 
light on disputed localities, or will give them 
great spiritual exaltation, will be doomed to dis- 
appointment. The hand of time and the ruth- 
less touch of the infidel have destroyed the 
definite marks of localities made sacred by the 
presence of Jesus. It is not too much to say 
that persons who visit Palestine with exaggerated 
notions of the vividness with which sacred places 
and events will be brought to their minds, may 
have their faith shaken, as they certainly will 
have their comfort for a time destroyed. But 
those who go with an intelligent appreciation of 
the condition of the country, of the discomforts 
and difficulties of travel, and of the lawlessness 
and filthiness of the people, and who at the same 
time have their minds well stored with biblical 
facts, will be greatly helped in their understand- 



JERUSALEM — u HABITATION OF PEACE " 39 



ing of the Bible and in their appreciation of the 
life and work of the divine Lord. Such persons 
will joyfully see how inseparably the Land and 
the Book are associated, and how each delight- 
fully illustrates, emphasizes, and beautifies the 
other. 

On entering the Jaffa Gate it is fitting that we 
look carefully at our environment and become 
familiar with the facts of history which stand 
intimately connected therewith. It is difficult 
to believe that this comparatively small town, 
around whose walls one may walk in an hour, is 
really the Holy City ; that this comparatively 
insignificant city is associated with the grandest 
events in human history, and that it has been for 
centuries the city of song and story, and the most 
sacred place on this globe. As a matter of fact, 
it is not the city of prophets and apostles, of 
kings and saints, and of him who was the world's 
desire and the Father's beloved Son. The Jeru- 
salem whose streets Jesus trod was very much 
larger than the Jerusalem of to-day. We know 
that in Christ's time Zion was covered with pal- 
aces ; but now, in harmony with ancient proph- 
ecy, "Zion . . . shall be ploughed as a field," 1 a 
part of it is a plowed field. Now, in other places 
in the vicinity of the Holy City the husbandman 
pursues his toil, and in still other places desola- 
tion reigns where once were the homes of wealth 
and splendor which formed a part of the great 
capital. 



1 Micah 3 : 12. 



40 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



We may not be able to decide with absolute 
certainty as to the origin of the word Jerusalem. 
Regarding its derivation and significance there 
will ever be much difference between the most 
learned authorities. S ome sa v that the name 
Shalem was given it by Shem, and the name 
Jirah by Abraham, and that the two were after- 
ward combined so as to form the present name. 
Others make the word mean, " Foundation of 
Peace," deriving it from two words, which in 
combination give this meaning. Still others give 
its termination the form of the Hebrew dual. It 
is said that as early as 1400 B. C. we hear of it as 
Uru-Salim, the residence of one of the Egyptian 
district governors who for a time ruled Palestine, 
and that the cuneiform tablets discovered at Tel 
el- Amaru a, contain several letters from the gov- 
ernor of Uru-Salim to his sovereign, giving re- 
ports of the Hittite invasion of Palestine. This 
name is interpreted to mean " City of Peace." 
Perhaps Jerusalem is simply its Hebraized form. 

Probably the better derivation is that which 
makes it mean, " Foundation or Habitation of 
Peace." But whatever derivation we give to the 
name, all will agree that this chief city of the 
Holy Land is to Christian believers the most in- 
teresting place in the whole world. Three cities 
are great centers of religious life and power, Jeru- 
salem, Rome, Moscow ; but of these three Jerusa- 
lem is incomparably the greatest. It is a center 
of religious life alike to the Jew and to the 
Christian ; it is the source of the faith of Protes- 
tant and Romanist alike, and is deemed a sacred 



JERUSALEM — " HABITATION OF PEACE " 41 



city even by the Mohammedans, as the Arabic 
name, El Kuds, which they to-day give it, signi- 
fies. The name, it is said, is used eight hundred 
and thirteen times in the Old Testament and in 
the New. 

Its history is long, sad, and yet fascinating 
and inspiring. Its situation and location indi- 
cated from the very first that there would always 
be a city on its important site or in its immedi- 
ate vicinity. Topographical peculiarities mark 
the location of great cities. The presence of 
rivers and the bay say as clearly regarding New 
York as if God had spoken with an audible 
voice, L,et there here be a city. With scarcely 
less distinctness did God speak regarding the 
location of Jerusalem. It is on the central table- 
land of Judea ; it is on the watershed between 
the Mediterranean and the Jordan. Had there 
been reference merely to centrality of location, 
Jerusalem would not have been chosen as the 
capital. Indeed, Samaria and some other cities 
had strong claims to the honor of being the cap- 
ital ; but the well-nigh impregnable position of 
Jerusalem gave it remarkable advantages over all 
other claimants in the Holy Land. Jerusalem did 
not become the capital until a comparatively late 
date in the history of the nation ; it was not 
even possessed by Israel until some time after the 
second period of their history, that of the mon- 
archy, had been entered. It long resisted all the 
attempts of the Israelites to become its masters ; 
and after the division of the tribes it long re- 
mained the capital of the kingdom of Judah. It 



42 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



is first known to us as Salem (Gen. 14 : 18), 
then as Jebus (Judg. 19 : 10). When it was cap- 
tured by David and his warriors it became 
" the City of David." Finally it was greatly 
beautified by Solomon, and when the temple 
was erected on Mt. Moriah and the ark was 
brought from Mt. Zion, it seemed as if the glory 
of Jerusalem was complete and would be perma- 
nent. But we know that it was plundered by 
Shishak and Pharaoh-Necho, kings of Egypt ; 
that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, pillaged 
it three times, and that finally the temple 
and palaces were burned and the walls leveled 
to the ground, and that King Zedekiah and the 
remnant of the people were carried to Babylon. 

After the return from the Babylonish captivity, 
the city and temple were slowly rebuilt. About 
the year 332, without a siege, Jerusalem passed 
into the hands of Alexander the Great. In 320 
B. c, Ptolemy, King of Egypt, besieged it on the 
Sabbath, knowing that the Jews would not fight 
on that holy day, and he easily took it by assault. 
There is not space in this chapter to go into this 
remarkable history in detail ; but it may be said 
that about 175 B. c. the city fell under the cruel 
power of the infamous Antiochus Epiphanes, 
who set up an image to Jupiter in the temple, 
and used every other means in his power to 
compel the people to become idolaters. He in- 
troduced Greek sports, dress, and names, and did 
all in his power to efface all the marks of Jewish 
faith and life. 

Under the Maccabees, the Jews, in 163 B. c, re- 



JERUSALEM — "HABITATION OF PEACE " 43 



covered their power. Exactly one hundred years 
passed, and in 63 b. c. the Romans, under Pom- 
pey, conquered the Jews. Jerusalem was plun- 
dered by Crassus, B. c. 54, but was soon greatly 
embellished by Herod the Great. It was to Jeru- 
salem thus beautified, and to the temple thus re- 
built, that the Messiah came, according to the 
ancient prophecies, and it was the crowning sin 
of this city that the Lord of life and glory was 
rejected by her people. In his rejection and cru- 
cifixion Jerusalem filled her cup of wrath. In 
70 A. d., the utter destruction of Jerusalem was 
accomplished. On the thirteenth of April of 
that year, the city was crowded with worshipers. 
At the foot of the Mount of Olives Titus sta- 
tioned the famous tenth legion ; then, according 
to the remarkable prediction of our Lord, he cast 
a trench around the city. Soon the awful ravages 
of famine were experienced. The people were 
divided into two parties. It is said that between 
April and July of that year, one hundred and 
fifteen thousand died and were buried in the city. 
Near the end of July, Antonia was stormed ; the 
Jews defended the holy places with fanatical and 
furious zeal, but on the tenth of August all was 
lost. A soldier, we are told, threw a firebrand into 
a doorway on the north side of one of the cham- 
bers of the temple and soon all the buildings were 
wrapped in flames. Wildly rose the terrible up- 
roar ; the darkness was illumined by the light of 
burning buildings ; the shouts of the victors and 
the groans of the vanquished rent the air. Titus 
strove to save the temple ; it was not his purpose 



44 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



to destroy the beautiful city aud temple ; but the 
wild fanaticism of the Jews and the reckless de- 
sires of his own soldiers thwarted his purpose. 
Many Jews, even then, in the midst of these aw- 
ful experiences, expected the Messiah to come 
for their deliverance. Six thousand men, women, 
and children were burned in a portion of the 
sacred buildings. As Jesus had predicted, not 
one stone was left upon another. Zion, how- 
ever, still existed ; but on September the 
seventh, the Romans burst, with triumphant 
shouts, into this last stronghold of their fierce 
foes. The streets were, for the most part, silent ; 
houses were filled with dead bodies, as were also 
the sewers. It is said that more than a million 
thus terribly perished. One's heart aches as he 
studies these sad details. One sees, as never be- 
fore, the folly and wickedness of the Jews in 
denying their Messiah. No words can adequately 
describe the horrors connected with the capture 
of Jerusalem. 

Finally, a temple to Jupiter Capitolinus was 
erected on Mount Moriah, and the name of the 
city was changed to iElia Capitolina, and it was 
consecrated to heathen deities. The purpose was 
to defile the city as much as possible, and blot out 
all traces alike of Judaism and Christianity ; and 
also to make the city the home of the heathenism 
which the Jews so terribly detested. The name 
of Jerusalem almost perished from among men, 
iEJlia becoming the name by which the city was 
known to all the heathen nations. In the time 
of Constantine, however, the ancient name was 



JERUSALEM — " HABITATION OE PEACE " 45 



resumed. Helena, the mother of Constantine, 
built a church in Bethlehem and one on the 
Mount of Olives in 326. She made the city 
once more a Christan city. Julian gave permis- 
sion to the Jews to rebuild the temple ; but as the 
superstitious men of the time believed, this pur- 
pose was frustrated by earthquakes and by the 
explosion of balls of fire among the workmen. 
In 614 the city was taken by the king of Persia, 
who slew, it is said, nearly one hundred thousand 
men. He aimed to destroy everything which the 
Christians venerated, and he encouraged the Jews 
to return to their ancient city. In 637 it surren- 
dered to the Caliph Omar and became a Moham- 
medan city, the Mosque of Omar taking the place 
of the temple on Mount Moriah. In 1076 it fell 
into the hands of the Turks, when awful barbar- 
ities were inflicted on Christians ; but in 1099 
the crusaders, under Godfrey of Bouillon, took 
Jerusalem and elected Godfrey their king. 
In 1 187 the city again fell into the hands of the 
Moslems, having been captured by Saladin, Sul- 
tan of the East, who was assisted, it is supposed, 
by the treachery of Raymond, Count of Tripoli, 
who was found dead in his bed on the day agreed 
upon for giving the city into the hands of the 
Moslems. In 1229 the city was again in the 
hands of Christians ; but ten years later it was 
once more Mohammedan ; and four years later 
the Christians were in authority. In 1244 it was 
taken by storm by a Tartar horde. Finally in 
151 7 it was taken by Ottoman Sultan Selim, 
who also became the master of Egypt and Syria. 



4 6 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



In 1542 his son Solyman reconstructed the pres- 
ent wall. In 1800 Napoleon planned to storm it, 
but he finally gave up the idea. It was bom- 
barded by the Turks in 1825. ^ n I ^3 I it submit-, 
ted to the pasha of Egypt, Mohammed Ali, but in 
1840 it again owned Turkish sway. In the prob- 
able fall of the Turkish power Jerusalem may 
come into the hands of France, Russia, Germany, 
or Great Britain ; or it may be divided among 
these various nations. France, Russia, and Ger- 
many now own considerable parts of the city of 
Jerusalem and vicinity. Great changes in the 
near future are inevitable, but what the final re- 
sult will be no prophet may affirm. 

Modern Jerusalem. — Comparatively little 
of the ancient city remains. We have already 
seen that the present walls were built in 1542. 
There are in them courses of stone which be- 
long to the ancient walls, and these may be 
readily distinguished. On Mount Zion, and at 
the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and elsewhere 
in the city, the ancient rock is readily seen ; but 
the glorious city of Solomon lies under the de- 
bris of not fewer than seventeen captures and spoli- 
ations. This fact throws great doubt on all the 
sacred places in Jerusalem. If the city of New 
York should in the future be captured seventeen 
times, and its great buildings thrown in promiscu- 
ous heaps on the streets, no topographer could 
with certainty identify our present localities. The 
real locations of ancient places and events in 
Jerusalem are buried far beneath the present level 



JERUSALEM — "HABITATION OF PEACE" 47 



of the city. The mountains round about the 
city still remain, but many of the valleys have 
been partly filled ; the streets that were trodden 
by kings and prophets, and by Jesus Christ and 
his apostles, are buried many feet below the 
streets of the Jerusalem of to-day. The thought 
is most impressive that on some streets of that 
city Christ bore his cross, and somewhere in that 
city he died thereon, but we may never discover 
with absolute certainty his Via Dolorosa or his 
Calvary. 

We can all sympathize with Robert Bruce, 
king of Scotland, in his vow to set off on a pil- 
grimage to Jerusalem when freed from wars at 
home, and who, when death was overtaking him 
and he had not fulfilled his vow, said : " I can- 
not go to Palestine in person ; I send my heart ; 
carry it thither when I am dead." Jerusalem 
will ever be sacred as the place in which the 
greatest scenes on earth were enacted ; it will 
ever be sacred as the symbol of heaven. Heaven 
is " Jerusalem the golden ; heaven is the city 
whose walls are jubilant with song ; heaven is 
the Jerusalem whose maker and builder is God." 

There are great difficulties connected with the 
excavations now going forward in Jerusalem. 
Sometimes the funds secured in England and 
America for this purpose have been insufficient, 
sometimes the narrow and bigoted Turkish gov- 
ernment has objected to the work, and always 
the work itself is most difficult, as it is unclean, 
unhealthful, and disagreeable. We owe much 
to Captains Wilson and Warren, to Lieutenant 



43 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Condor, to Dr. Edward Robinson, and to many 
others, for their self-sacrificing toils. At this 
moment many young Americans, Frenchmen, 
Germans, Britons, and others, are engaged in 
similar services, living often in tombs, sewers, 
and other utterly abominable places, and doing 
a heroic work in the interest of science and re- 
ligion. I never before so thoroughly learned to 
appreciate the value of the services which exca- 
vators are rendering to the cause of biblical in- 
terpretation. These explorers suffer much from 
the impure condition of the soil, saturated as it 
is with the sewage of ages, and much from the 
opposition of the government and from the diffi- 
culties inseparable from the nature of the work. 
These excavators have dug down literally through 
several Jerusalems. We have here one city piled 
on another. The Jerusalem of to-day is, per- 
haps, the seventh or eighth city built on this 
site. 

Did space permit, it would be interesting to 
trace the origin, growth, and destruction of these 
various cities. Every foot of the ground is cov- 
ered by the wreck of cities that once were the 
symbols of marvelous power and of wonderful 
beauty. Great thoughts fill the soul as one 
wanders over these ruins and through the nar- 
row and filthy streets of modern Jerusalem. 

It is said that the Jerusalem of to-day covers 
an area of more than two hundred and nine 
acres, of which thirty-five are occupied by the 
level on which the Mosque of Omar stands. It 
consists of the Christian quarter, the Moham- 



JERUSALEM — "HABITATION OF PEACE " 49 



medan quarter, and the Jewish quarter. It is 
difficult to decide as to the size of the popula- 
tion, but it is probably between forty and fifty 
thousand. The circumference of the city is 
about three miles. The enclosing walls average 
thirty-five feet in height. They are massive 
in appearance, but are not of great strength. 
Around the walls are thirty-four towers, and the 
walls are pierced by eight gates, two of which 
are closed. The open gates are the Jaffa Gate, 
on the west; New Gate, opened in 1889, in the 
northwest part of the city ; the Damascus Gate, 
which leads to Samaria and Damascus ; the Gate 
of the Tribes, or St. Stephen's Gate ; the Dung 
Gate, leading to Siloam ; and Zion Gate, on the 
ridge of Zion. The closed gates are the Golden 
Gate, and the Gate of Herod, or the Gate of 
Flowers, which is opened occasionally. The 
leading streets are the Street of David, which 
leads from the Jaffa Gate to the Mosque of Omar ; 
the Street of the Gate of the Column ; Christian 
Street, which leads to the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre. The Via Dolorosa, although modern, 
still, from its traditional location, will always 
exercise a peculiar power over every Christian 
heart ; it begins at the Latin Convent and ends 
at St. Stephen's Gate. 

Peoples and Faiths. — As we might expect, 
there are now a goodly number of Jews in Jeru- 
salem. Some claim that one-half the population 
is Jewish. They are of two sorts : the Sephar- 
dim, or Spanish Jews; and the Ashkenazim, or 



50 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

Jews of German and Polish origin. They are 
sustained largely by charity. Many Jews, like 
many Christians, go to Jerusalem on a pilgrim- 
age of piety. The Rothschild Hospital was 
founded in 1855. Sir Moses Montefiore has 
done much to encourage the Jews in Palestine 
to become self-supporting. In January, 1875, he 
desired that a proposed testimonial to him might 
take the form of a fund to help Jews in Pales- 
tine, and nearly sixty thousand dollars was con- 
tributed in this way. Although he was ninety- 
two years old, he visited Jerusalem and brought 
back an encouraging report regarding his people. 
The patriarch of the Greek Church resides in 
Jerusalem, in a convent beside the Church of 
the Holy Sepulchre. The Armenians number 
nearly five hundred in the Holy City, and the 
Copts own two monasteries. The Latins number, 
perhaps, two thousand followers. The Church 
of England has a small school and church. Lay 
German missionaries have branches of their mis- 
sion work in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jaffa. 
There is a Good Samaritan Home under the 
direction of the Deaconesses of Kaiserwerth. 
There are now ophthalmic and other hospitals, 
some of which are under the control of the 
Knights of St. John. There are services under 
the direction of several of the Christian denomi- 
nations, and a converted Jew, who has recently 
become a Baptist. 

We have thus had a glimpse of Jerusalem, its 
history, its characteristics, its peoples, and their 
faiths. The day is now dawning; we have fa- 



JERUSALEM — "HABITATION OF PEACE " 5 1 



miliarized ourselves with these ancient facts and 
present conditions; we pass through the Jaffa 
Gate and learn that "Jerusalem is builded as a 
city that is compact together." A chastened 
but constant enthusiasm has been experienced 
since first touching the soil of 

The holy fields, 
Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, 
Which, eighteen hundred years ago, were nailed 
For our advantage to the bitter cross. 



V 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 

WE pass through the Jaffa Gate, and follow- 
ing an impulse common to nearly all 
pilgrims and tourists, we direct our steps to the 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the minds of 
most Christian visitors to the Holy City this is 
the most sacred spot within its walls. A volume 
might be written regarding the architecture, lo- 
cation, and history of this famous building. It 
is situated in the Christian quarter of Jerusa- 
lem, and in a street which not infrequently is 
called Palmer Street. The street is largely given 
up to the traffic in beads, or in wood and ivory 
carving, and a thousand cheap and inartistic 
trinkets. Even in midsummer one will find 
there a horde of clamorous and impudent ped- 
dlers. At the Eastertide this crowd is much 
larger and still more clamorous, and through it 
then the traveler can scarcely force his way in 
order to approach the portal of the historic 
church. On the pavement, beside the traders who 
are watching for customers, are heaps of beads, 
shells, and many kinds of fancy work. One sees 
among the peddlers Greeks, Jews, Armenians, and 
Syrians. Here and there may be seen women en- 
V gaged in beseeching tourists to buy their wares ; 
52 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 53 



especially do the fair-faced women from Bethle- 
hem thrust their beads and crosses into the face of 
travelers and urge them to buy. Now and then 
one of these pavement merchants looks as if he 
would assault you if you did not make a pur- 
chase. The presence of this crowd, as one ap- 
proaches the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, dis- 
turbs all his tenderer emotions and utterly dissi- 
pates the spirit of devotion. One is constantly 
reminded, as he looks upon this motley group of 
traders, of those whom Christ drove out of the 
temple because they desecrated its holy pre- 
cincts ; and these merchants are their legitimate 
descendants. There are the usual number of de- 
formed creatures and beggars parading their de- 
formities as an additional appeal to the charity of 
visitors. Such is the sight that greets the trav- 
eler as he approaches this sacred place. 

It is easy to see, even at a glance, that parts of 
the present structure are quite modern ; but the 
south portal and portions of the old towers and 
walls are said to be from eight hundred to a 
thousand years old. Some sort of church has, 
doubtless, been on this site or its vicinity ever 
since the time of Constantine, or since the third 
century after Christ. A temple of Venus was 
erected at one time by the heathen, in order to 
show their contempt of Christianity, over the re- 
puted site of the crucifixion ; but the Empress 
Helena, the mother of Constantine, built on the 
site selected, as the result of a divine vision, a 
group of sacred edifices. It would seem that at 
first there w T as a small chapel over each sacred 



54 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



place ; but now all these sacred places are in- 
cluded within the walls of this heterogeneous 
building known as the Church of the Holy Sep- 
ulchre, and also the Anastasis, because here 
Christ rose from the dead. It consists of differ- 
ent styles of architecture, of many roofs, chapels, 
shrines, tombs, and altars. Some of these belong 
to one sect and some to another. It is said by 
some writers that there are now no fewer than 
thirty-seven sacred sites within this historic en- 
closure, while others make the number much 
greater. 

The buildings erected by Constantine in 326 
were destroyed by the Persians when they took 
the city of Jerusalem in 614. Their king, 
Chosroes II., did all in his power to destroy every 
vestige of Christianity ; but in 627 Heraclius de- 
feated him, and Jerusalem was recovered by the 
Greeks. In 936 fire partly destroyed the church, 
and in 1010 the Moslems inflicted great damage 
upon it ; but in 1055 a church again arose to 
commemorate the sacred sites. In 1099 the cru- 
saders entered this church barefooted and sing- 
ing songs of praise. At the beginning of the 
twelfth century they erected the present build- 
ing ; but it has undergone so many changes as 
to make it almost another building. Great 
damage was inflicted upon it by the Arabs in 
1 187, and in 1244 the sepulchre was destroyed 
by the Kharezmians. Writers on the history of 
the church call attention to the fact that the 
dome of the sepulchre became insecure, and in 
1 7 19 it was restored and a great part of the 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 55 



church rebuilt. In 1808 it was almost entirely 
burned ; the dome at that time fell in and crushed 
the chapel of the sepulchre, and large quantities 
of molten lead flowed into the interior. The 
Greeks now secured the principal right to the 
buildings, and with the aid of the Armenians 
contributed most largely to the erection of the 
restored church in 18 10. An architect of Con- 
stantinople designed the restored church, al- 
though traces of the original design and struc- 
ture still remain. 

Is this really the place of our Lord's crucifixion, 
burial, and resurrection ? That question has been 
earnestly discussed by the most accomplished and 
devout biblical scholars, and by the keenest anti- 
quarians of different ages. The ordinary tourist 
cannot enter upon an exhaustive discussion of 
the subject ; the most that he can do is to avail 
himself of the processes and conclusions of those 
who are qualified to give authoritative opinions. 
But whatever one may think as to the site of 
Calvary, no one can approach a spot which mil- 
lions claim to be Calvary, and which has been 
the object of pilgrimage and worship for hun- 
dreds of years, and is now at certain seasons of 
the year thronged by believing pilgrims, without 
profound emotions, tender associations, and rev- 
erential desires. Here millions have worshiped 
in simple faith and with fervent zeal. They be- 
lieved that here our Lord was crucified, that 
here he was buried, and that here he revealed 
himself after his resurrection. We know that 
the place of the crucifixion was " without the 



56 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



gate 5 ' ; on that point the statements of Scripture 
are clear ; and the reputed sites of Calvary and 
of the sepulchre now stand in the heart of the 
city. The question is, could this site ever have 
been outside the walls ? Has the location of the 
walls been changed since the time of our Lord's 
crucifixion ? If we can answer that question in 
the affirmative, then this may be the very spot 
where the cross stood on Calvary, and this the 
veritable " new tomb " of Joseph, " wherein never 
man lay " until it was sanctified by the presence 
of the body of Jesus Christ. How one longs to 
be absolutely sure that this is the actual place of 
the crucifixion, the burial, and the resurrection 
of Christ ! Very eminent modern authorities, 
among them Bovet, Ganneau, and Warren, have 
argued on topographical grounds for the genu- 
ineness of the traditional site. In doing this they 
limit unduly, in the opinion of other eminent 
authorities, the size of the north wall for the 
population which the city contained in our 
Lord's time. Fergusson makes the Dome of the 
Rock the sepulchre of Christ. Sir J. W. Daw- 
son and others claim that the knoll of rock 
outside the north wall of the city, and covered 
with shallow soil and coarse grass, conforms to 
the description given by the evangelists who 
speak of Golgotha or the skull-like place. It is 
doubtless true as, with many others who have 
visited this place, I can testify that this knoll 
suggests the idea of a skull. I visited it several 
times in different lights in order to get definite 
impressions of the place. There are on it old 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 57 



tombs which certainly are not unlike eyes in the 
skull. I can appreciate what many observers 
have instantly said, on seeing this knoll, " That 
is Calvary." It is also affirmed that Jewish tra- 
ditions show that this hill was used as a place of 
execution ; and it is now used chiefly as the 
place of Moslem graves. It admittedly conforms 
to some of the conditions given by the evangel- 
ists, as it is near the city, is between ancient 
roads, and was in the vicinity of certain gardens 
and tombs. Dr. Selah Merrill and Doctor Chap- 
lin, who had rare opportunities of becoming fa- 
miliar with the topography of Jerusalem, and 
the late General Gordon, who had carefully ex- 
amined every inch of the ground, favor this 
knoll as the genuine Calvary. 

On so difficult a subject as this it is not be- 
coming the vacation tourist to speak except with 
great modesty ; but, contrary to my usual habit, 
I find myself altogether disposed to favor the 
traditional site. There are many facts in favor 
of this ancient locality as the place of the cruci- 
fixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We 
know that Constantine, soon after his conver- 
sion, was anxious to beautify the Holy City, and 
his mother, the aged and pious Helena, desired 
to honor the tomb of Christ. She visited Jeru- 
salem and located the site which is still pointed 
out as probably the true Calvary. We may dis- 
card all the fables connected with her adoption 
of this site ; it is certain that many of the tradi- 
tions related, as to the manner of the discovery 
of the sacred sites, are unworthy of a moment's 



58 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



consideration. But we may still cling to the 
spot selected by her as the probable site. When 
Constantine removed the temple of Venus, he 
found a tomblike cavern, and on the site, it is 
said, he erected a church. It is positively 
affirmed that Busebius, the great church histo- 
rian, and many bishops were present at the dedi- 
cation of this church in A. d. 335. They all 
agreed in regarding this as the true site of the 
crucifixion and resurrection. I find myself in 
sympathy with the late Dr. H. C. Fish, in his 
" Bible Lands Illustrated," in inclining to be- 
lieve that this is the true site of Calvary and of 
the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. We know 
that but a short time elapsed after the death of 
the men and women who saw Christ crucified 
before the selection of this site, perhaps not more 
than one hundred and seventy-five to two hun- 
dred years. We may well believe that the place 
of such august events would remain for that 
length of time definitely fixed. One certainly 
would like to believe that this is the very spot 
where the sublimest events of the world's history 
were enacted. But even if we were sure that 
this is the place, it is so changed, so built over, 
and so associated with the ignorant and super- 
stitious devotion of pilgrims, as to rob it of many 
of the tender thoughts which one would like to 
feel while gazing on a spot so unspeakably 
sacred. 

Several times I visited the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre. The morning light is the best in 
which to see this ancient and many-roofed struc- 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 59 



ture. At the entrance are seen sneering Turks 
as the official wardens of this holy house. Their 
presence, however, is often necessary to preserve 
peace among the so-called Christian pilgrims 
who visit the church. The first object which 
arrests the attention on entering is the Stone of 
Unction. On this stone, it is said, the body of 
Christ was laid for anointing when taken down 
from the cross. It is a long marble slab resting 
on the pavement and surrounded by burning 
candles. It is not the actual stone ; it is claimed 
that this is buried beneath the present slab, 
which was placed here in 18 10. The lamps and 
candelabra which surround the stone belong to 
Armenians, Latins, Greeks, and Copts. All de- 
vout pilgrims kneel and kiss this stone, and at 
certain places on its surface grooves are seen 
which have been made by the lips of devout pil- 
grims who, during the ages, have been coming 
and kneeling here. This part of the church is 
the property of the Armenians. 

We next enter the rotunda. The dome is 
sixty-five feet in diameter and is open at the top, 
reminding one of the magnificent Pantheon at 
Rome. In the center of this rotunda is the 
Holy Sepulchre. It is really a chapel in itself, 
being twenty-six feet long and eighteen feet 
broad, and is built of marble, with a long, low 
doorway leading to the sepulchre. This door- 
way opens into what might be called another 
chapel, but which is only six by seven feet. 
The guide books state that the area of this 
chapel is but forty-two square feet, and that of 



6o 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



this space nineteen square feet are taken up by 
the marble slab shown as the tomb of Christ. 
This slab is cracked in the center; it is also 
worn by the lips of adoring pilgrims. Here 
forty-three lamps are always burning; four of 
these lamps belong to the Copts, and thirteen 
each to the Christians, Latins, and Armenians. 
This little chapel is cased with marble through- 
out, and thus the original rock is nowhere visi- 
ble. This is in many ways the most remark- 
able and altogether the place of most tender 
memories in the world. No man can indiffer- 
ently enter this sacred place nor witness the 
passionate devotion of the pilgrims whom he 
here sees. He must be more or less than man 
if some degree of tenderness be not in his heart 
as he stands beside the reputed tomb of the 
Lord. Becomingly do all pass out with their 
faces toward the tomb. 

North of the sepulchre we see the stone where 
it is claimed that Jesus stood when he said, 
"Woman, why weepest- thou ? " Then comes 
the Chapel of the Apparition where our Lord 
appeared to Mary; there is also the Chapel 
of the Division of the Vestments. We then 
descend twenty-nine steps and reach the Chapel 
of Helena; then we visit the Chapel of the 
Finding of the Cross, the Chapel of the Crown 
of Thorns, the column marking, as it is affirmed, 
the center of the earth, from which spot, accord- 
ing to tradition, came the earth from which 
Adam was made. Going up eighteen steps, we 
reach Calvary ; a long rent is here shown in the 



CHURCH OF THE HOtY SEPULCHRE 6l 



rock, which is said to have been made at the 
time of the crucifixion. But one cannot sup- 
press the feelings of doubt which obtrude them- 
selves regarding all these reputed sites. 

Worthless traditions blend with the holiest 
emotions and the sublimest facts at the Church 
of the Holy Sepulchre, but probably there is no 
imposition so utterly abominable as that con- 
nected with the so-called "Holy Fire." In one 
of the walls of the Holy Sepulchre there is a 
hole through which it is said the holy fire comes. 
On Easter Eve, thousands of Greek worshipers 
assemble from all parts of the world to witness 
this gross imposition, certainly one of the gross- 
est which ever disgraced the Christian name. 
In earlier centuries the Roman Church partici- 
pated in this imposture, but since the sixteenth 
century it has been too great an imposture even 
for superstitious Romanists. The patriarch of 
the Greek Church alone enters the sepulchre; 
the people stand outside, waiting with bated 
breath for the advent of the holy fire. All for a 
time is hushed in the sacred building. Many 
pilgrims wait for weary hours near the hole so 
as to be among the first to receive the sacred 
fire. Sometimes they even have themselves tied 
to stationary objects in the vicinity that they 
may not be pushed away when the hour for the 
exhibition shall arrive. It is a thrilling moment 
for the ignorant and superstitious pilgrims. The 
patriarch claims that the fire descends from 
heaven. The excitement reaches its highest 
pitch when the patriarch passes the fire through 



62 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



the hole ; burning tapers are then handed the 
priest, and the pilgrims rush to have their tapers 
kindled at the sacred flame. Large sums of 
money, it is said, are paid to the priests that 
they may light the candles of pilgrims first after 
the sacred fire has appeared. Soon the whole 
church is illumined as the lighted tapers multi- 
ply and are borne away from the sacred spot. 
Fierce fights often occur here. In 1834 the 
seething crowd fought with one another in the 
utmost desperation and fanaticism. They tram- 
pled over one another until finally the guards 
interfered, and soon the dead and dying were 
lying in heaps, even on the stone of unction. 
This abominable practice ought to be suppressed 
by the authorities of the Greek Church. 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the 
joint property of the Greeks, the Latins, the Ar- 
menians, and the Copts, but the Greeks have the 
largest share of its space and in its services. As 
already intimated, the church is really a group 
of heterogeneous buildings. It occupies between 
two and three acres ; and, according to some 
classifications, includes seventy sacred places ; 
others make the number but thirty-seven, as al- 
ready stated. All depends upon the principle 
of classification which the enumerator observes. 
Each one of the sects named takes its turn in 
visiting the sacred shrines and in conducting 
services. The Church of England has made va- 
rious efforts to secure an altar, but no very satis- 
factory arrangements have yet been made. 

A few lessons suggest themselves as one turns 



CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 63 



away from this remarkable church. The visitor 
is grieved at the pitiable superstitions of many 
of the Greek, Roman, Armenian, and other pil- 
grims. The heathenism of distinctively heathen 
countries could scarcely be more heathenish than 
are the practices of many pilgrims in the Church 
of the Holy Sepulchre. One's heart aches as he 
gazes upon their acts so marked by ignorance 
and dotard superstitions. But through all these 
offensive sights the devout and intelligent visitor 
lays hold of the tremendous realities which oc- 
curred here, or elsewhere in the neighborhood. 
What marvelous thoughts fill the mind as one 
thinks of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection 
of the Son of God ! Properly distinguishing 
between history and tradition, it is easy to see 
how the Holy Land confirms the holy book and 
how real the earthly life of Jesus Christ was, 
and may still become, to the intelligent and de- 
vout pilgrim to the Church of the Holy Sepul- 
chre. 



VI 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 

WE hasten at this time to the Great Al- 
tar Mountain, Mount Moriah, to the 
site of Solomon's Temple ; the Haram Area, the 
Mosque of Omar, the Dome of the Rock, or Kub- 
bet es-Sukhrah. Perhaps there is no spot on this 
globe which appeals more powerfully to the his- 
toric imagination than does this altar mountain, 
as it has been called. It is the symbol of faith 
in one God as against the many lords of 
heathen religions. On the brow of this rocky 
summit, Jew, Christian, and Moslem alike may 
honestly and devoutly worship. All of them be- 
lieve that here the veil which shrouds the in- 
visible world has been drawn aside and the 
glory of the invisible God has often been sub- 
limely revealed. Here now stands the Mosque 
of Omar, probably upon the summit of Mount 
Moriah, perhaps on the very spot where Oman 
had his threshing-floor. It was here, according 
to the oral tradition of centuries, that Abraham 
laid the wood in order for the contemplated sacri- 
fice of his son Isaac. 

Attention has often been called to the fact that 
Abraham was the common ancestor of all the 
Arabian tribes. He is still held in high honor 
64 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



by these tribes, however bitter their hatreds in 
other respects may be. It was here that David 
saw the angel standing between earth and heaven 
with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out 
over Jerusalem. Here it was that David inter- 
ceded for the plague-stricken people. Here it 
was that later the glorious temple of Solomon 
stood ; here it was believed dwelt, at least for 
the four hundred and twenty-eight years of the 
first temple, the shadow of the cloud and the 
glory of the Shekinah ; and here came the tribes 
in a grateful celebration of God's wonderful 
blessings to Israel. To this spot the hearts of 
Jews oppressed in every land turned with hope, 
joy, and supplication. 

One cannot stand before the Mosque of Omar, 
with its many colored marbles glistening in the 
sunlight as once "the goodly stones of the tern- 
pie " shone before the eyes of the disciples, with- 
out emotions of wonder and tenderness. One's 
thoughts rush back to the time when the temple 
here stood in all its dazzling splendor ; back to 
the times of the patriarchs, back to the very 
dawn of human history. One sees again the 
tribes going up from all parts of the land ; again 
their " songs of degrees " are heard as they re- 
joice in God and glorify Israel. This was the 
very heart of the religious life of the Hebrew 
people ; it was the inspiration of prophecy, the 
theme of poetry, and the center of national hope 
and joy. Memories of Israel's disobedience, de- 
feats, and manifold disasters crowd the mind. 
Visions of God's ancient people imprisoned and 



66 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



exiled among their heathen captors, who deso- 
lated and destroyed the holy places, pass vividly 
before the mind. Other pictures, also, are pres- 
ent ; we see God's people turning away from 
their sins, coming back to God with breaking 
hearts, and turning their tearful eyes once more 
to this sacred place. It was here too, that to the 
priest Zacharias, at what was called the Feast 
of Lights, in the thirty-fifth year of Herod the 
Great, the angel of the Lord appeared, standing 
on the right side of the altar of incense, and to 
this priest came the promise of the birth of John 
the Baptist. Here too, the babe Jesus was pre- 
sented at the appropriate time, and Simeon 
uttered his Nunc Dimittis. Here later, within 
one of the many chambers of the great build- 
ing, sat the marvelous child in the midst of 
the doctors, both hearing them and asking 
questions. Here, as Dr. Fish has reminded 
us, twenty years later, the Son of God walked 
under the royal porches in the winter at the feast 
of the dedication ; here he lifted up his voice in 
warning, instruction, and benediction ; and from 
these sacred precincts, during the last days of his 
earthly life, he drove out the traders who dese- 
crated his Father's house. And here, in the 
opinion of the Moslems, who are the present 
guardians of this sanctuary, the great Arabian 
prophet Mohammed, took his flight from the 
earth to the flowery paradise so vividly described 
by the teachers of the Mohammedan faith. There 
is little doubt that Mount Moriah is identical 
with this present temple area, now known as 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



6 7 



the Haram esh-Sherif, or the Noble Sanctuary. 
Almost every inch of ground in this sacred en- 
closure has been the subject of earnest topo- 
graphical scrutiny, historic research, and vigor- 
ous controversy. The Exploration Fund has 
given earnest students the opportunity of clear- 
ing up many disputed points, and has opened the 
way for the removal, in the near future, of many 
present difficulties. Biblical and scientific stu- 
dents now in larger numbers than ever before, 
visit the Holy Land. The government is dis- 
posed to be somewhat more liberal in removing 
obstructions than was formerly the case, and we 
may well expect that before many decades shall 
pass, still greater liberty will be given to scien- 
tific exploration, until finally all that scholarship 
can do to identify ancient sites will have been 
accomplished. 

The temple area is quadrangular in shape ; it 
occupies thirty-five acres, or nearly one-quarter 
of the whole city of Jerusalem. It is two hun- 
dred feet above the valley of the Kedron. We 
know that Solomon leveled the space for his 
great temple and its other buildings ; and this 
work he performed at enormous cost in labor and 
money. On the west, the wall which surrounds 
this space is one thousand six hundred and one 
feet long ; on the east, one thousand five hun- 
dred and thirty feet ; on the north, one thousand 
and twenty-four feet ; and on the south, nine hun- 
dred and twenty-two feet. This sacred enclosure 
is entered by eight gates on the west, the princi- 
pal one being known as the Gate of the Chain. 



68 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Entering by this gate we have on the right the 
building known as the Mosque el-Aksa, in the 
enclosure of which there is much green grass, 
while olive and cypress trees are also found. 
There are likewise marble fountains and the 
broad platform is surrounded by arches, by pul- 
pits, prayer niches, and cupolas, and there before 
us rises the great mosque, glittering in the flood 
of sunshine which bathes the summit of this his- 
toric mountain in heavenly splendor. A truly 
glorious picture is before us. Its chief attraction 
is its great central figure, the magnificent Kub- 
bet es-Sukhrah, or Dome of the Rock. This 
building is generally supposed to have been 
erected by Omar, and so is called by his name ; 
but some authorities believe that the title belongs 
to a much smaller and less important building 
which contains the Mihrab, or prayer niche, of 
the celebrated Caliph. But perhaps Omar did 
really erect this magnificent structure. Tradi- 
tion tells us that when he took Jerusalem his 
first inquiry was for the site of the temple, that 
he was guided to the traditional spot which was 
then covered by mounds of rubbish, and that he 
there built the Mosque which bears his name. 
Some, however, affirm that it was built by Abd- 
el-Melek, in the year of our Lord 696. Perhaps 
no amount of historic investigation will be able, 
for many years at least, to settle these disputed 
affirmations with any certainty. The time, how- 
ever, will come, we may assume, when the efforts 
of all these students will be rewarded with sub- 
stantial agreement regarding historic facts. 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



6 9 



It is necessary to secure permits before one 
can enter this sacred building. At one time no 
Christian was allowed within its walls ; but now, 
except on the occasion of great festivals, access 
can be readily obtained. The consul of the 
country to which the traveler belongs, he being 
properly provided with a passport, will send his 
Kawass. The admission fee is small and the 
tourist's dragoman will attend to all details, as 
well as pointing out, perhaps with the help of a 
local guide, all the places of interest. Before 
entering the building one can study with profit 
its superb dome, which seems to float in the 
heavens, above the building and above the city. 
It is one of the most notable objects in Jeru- 
salem, as one looks out upon the city from the 
Mount of Olives. As the dome of St. Peter's 
seems to hang in the heavens over the great 
church, and to some degree over Rome, so the 
dome of the Mosque of Omar seems to hang in 
the sky over the mosque and over Jerusalem. 
This interesting effect is produced by a slight 
drawing in of the dome at its base, which the 
architect has managed with remarkable skill. 
If the drawing-in had been too great, the effect 
of insecurity would have been produced ; if not 
great enough, the appearance of the dome as float- 
ing in the air could not have been attained. The 
building is eight-sided and each side measures 
sixty-seven feet. The dome is surmounted by a 
gilt crescent, and the lower part of the wall is of 
various colored marbles arranged in curious pat- 
terns. The upper part is pierced with fifty-six 



JO SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



pointed windows. The piers which separate the 
windows are covered with tiles of bright colors, 
and the glass in the windows is unusually rich 
and brilliant. The diameter of the interior is one 
hundred and forty-eight feet, while it is encircled 
with Arabic inscriptions. There are sixteen 
marble Corinthian columns, connected above by 
a horizontal architrave under pointed arches. 
The walls are ornamented in gilt stucco in the 
Arabesque style, and the pavement is of marble 
mosaic. The Sacred Rock, immediately beneath 
the great dome, is of irregular shape, and about 
sixty feet long and fifty feet wide. Captain 
Wilson is quoted as saying that it u stands about 
four feet nine and a half inches above the mar- 
ble pavement at its highest point and one foot 
at its lowest." The surface bears the marks of 
rough chiseling ; on the west side it is cut down 
in three steps, the object of which is still a matter 
of doubt. Beneath the rock is a vast tank which, 
perhaps, was used as the cesspool of the great 
altar of the early time, if, as is supposed, it was 
intended that the blood of the victims should be 
carried off through the drain connected with 
this pool. 

Many legends hang about this rock, legends 
Jewish, Christian, and Moslem. According to 
the Jews, Melchisedec here offered sacrifices ; 
here Abraham contemplated offering Isaac, and 
here the Ark of the Covenant stood ; and here it 
is said the unutterable name of God was written. 
Moslem traditions rival the Jewish as connected 
with this historic rock. The legend is that 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



71 



when Mohammed ascended to heaven on his 
horse El-Burak, the rock wanted to follow him. 
It started to ascend with its master, but the angel 
Gabriel rushed in, seized the rock and restored 
it to its place. Surely no one can doubt the 
truth of this legend, for there on the rock still 
are shown the prints of Gabriel's fingers when 
he seized it in its ambitious flight ! What evi- 
dence stronger than this can be desired as to the 
truth of this legend ? Since that day the rock 
has been suspended in the air ; it is true that you 
cannot see it so suspended, but it is to be borne in 
mind that its suspension, according to the legend 
of the local guides, gave such alarm to visitors, 
especially to women, that an appearance of so- 
lidity had to be given it by the erection of a wall. 
But that it is still suspended is evident from the 
hollow sounds which come from the wall placed 
there to quiet the fears of the pilgrims ! 

In the cave below the rock are seen the pray- 
ing places of Abraham, David, Mohammed, and 
others. Here in the floor is the slab which cov- 
ers the Well of Spirits ; here the spirits are con- 
fined, and thence they will be brought up by the 
hair of their heads when the day of judgment 
comes. Many other places the guide points out 
as sacred in the mosque. Here is the shield of 
Mohammed's uncle ; here the footprint of Mo- 
hammed himself ; here are hairs from his beard ; 
and here especially is the slab with three and a 
half nails still remaining in it. The guide de- 
voutly tells you that once there were nineteen 
nails, but the devil knocked all of them but three 



72 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



and a half into the stone, and when these disap- 
pear the end of the world will certainly come. 
After imparting this interesting piece of infor- 
mation, and giving this exhibition of hopelessly 
blind superstition, the guide expects the tourist 
to place a generous amount of coin on the slab. 
The guide takes the coin and rewards the tourist 
by assuring him that his chances now are much 
better when the devil knocks in the remaining 
nails, because of the generous gift laid upon the 
stone. Beneath the temple platform are great 
substructures, arches, and pillars. These are 
truly wonderful. This part is called Solomon's 
Stables, and of these fuller mention will be made 
later. It will be remembered that the temple 
was built by Solomon, next by Zerubbabel, and 
extensively repaired by Herod the Great. The 
entire space covered by Herod's Temple was 
about nineteen acres, or a little more than one 
half of the present temple area. 

The structure near the entrance of the mosque 
is said to be the model of the Mosque of Omar. 
It was called the Tribunal of David, the Dome 
of the Chain, or Kubbet es-Silsileh. The tradi- 
tion is that a chain which was suspended from 
heaven hung over this spot, and when two dispu- 
tants could not settle a quarrel, the chain moved 
to the one who had right on his side. If a wit- 
ness in a trial could grasp the chain his testi- 
mony was true, but if a link broke of! it was 
certain that the witness was a perjurer. These 
legends are believed without question by many 
Mohammedans to this hour. 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



73 



Mosque EL-Aksa. — This building is generally 
believed to be identical with the church erected 
by the Emperor Justinian, and converted from a 
church into a mosque. Others, however, claim 
that its structure is entirely Arabic, a claim 
which does not seem to be well founded. It cer- 
tainly seems to have been erected as a church 
and to have been changed to suit its present use 
as a mosque. Here are shown the so-called 
tombs of the sons of Aaron, but it is much more 
likely that the stone slab pointed out on the 
pavement marks the grave of some conspicuous 
Knights Templar. The fine pulpit, so exquisitely 
carved and inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl, 
will at once attract attention. It was made at 
Damascus, from cedar of Lebanon. Here is 
pointed out the praying- place of Moses ; here 
also are two pillars very close together, between 
which formerly tourists were permitted to pass, 
if their size did not prevent. Those who squeezed 
through were sure of a place in the Mohamme- 
dan paradise, but those who failed could only 
look forward with great doubt to that possibility. 
Now, however, iron spikes and bands have been 
so arranged that the infidel Christian cannot 
even make the attempt to pass between the 
pillars. 

In this mosque also is the Well of the Leaf, 
with its strange legend. To it a worshiper went 
to draw water, his bucket slipped from his hands, 
and he went into the well after the bucket. To 
his great surprise he reached a door which opened 
and admitted him into a perfect paradise. There 



74 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



he wandered for some time and plucked a leaf 
which he carried back with him to the world. 
This leaf never withered, but no one has since 
been able to find the door leading to this match- 
less garden. This door the Moslems believe 
leads into paradise. 

The Cradle of Christ. — We leave the 
mosque by the eastern door, where we lay aside 
our slippers. We proceed to the southeast corner 
of the Haram, and descend thirty-two steps to 
the so-called cradle of Christ. This is a small 
chamber to which many legends are attached. 
Here, it is claimed that Simeon and the Virgin 
dwelt for a time, and that to this chamber Christ 
was brought for the rite of circumcision. 

We next descend to Solomon's Stables. This 
is a vast succession of pillared and vaulted vistas. 
All guides call attention to the beveled stones, 
which are supposed to be characteristic of the 
builders of the first temple. It is true that others 
think they may be but an imitation of the earlier 
stones. Very much has been written on these 
stables. The recent volume, entitled " Recent 
Discoveries on the Temple Hill," by Rev. James 
King, M. A., is worthy of careful study. He has 
given us the very latest results of the most care- 
ful investigation connected with this interesting 
structure. It was especially interesting to me as 
showing how the valleys were raised so as to 
form the vast temple platform. That fact had 
never before been made plain to my mind. It 
is a matter of comparatively little importance 



THE MOSQUE OF OMAR 



75 



whether these were really Solomon's stables or 
not. We are told in i Kings 4 : 26, that " Solo- 
mon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his 
chariots." His palace may have been somewhere 
in this vicinity, and grottoes, or artificial struc- 
tures somewhat similar to these now shown, may 
have been used by him as stables. It is certain, 
however, that the Knights Templar used these 
great colonnades as stables, and the rings to 
which their horses were attached are still shown. 

As we emerge from the stables of Solomon 
there opens before us a view of the valley of 
Jehoshaphat. It is a mass of graves, containing 
the dead of many generations. All devout Jews 
desire to be buried in this valley. They believe 
that the Messiah will come here, in harmony 
with the prophecy of Joel 3:2. Here also a 
view is obtained of Absalom's Pillar, the Mount 
of Olives, the garden of Gethsemane, and other 
interesting places in the vicinity. Moslem tra- 
dition affirms that Mohammed, when he comes 
to judge the world, will sit on the wall beside 
the spot on which we stand, that a wire fine as 
a hair will be attached to this broken column 
protruding from the wall near by, and will be 
stretched across to the Mount of Olives. All 
men must attempt to pass over this cord ; those 
who have sins will fall into perdition ; but angels 
will carry the just in safety to the Mount of Olives 
on the opposite side of the valley. Near here is 
seen the so-called throne of Solomon ; here also 
are many prayer niches, and a famous marble 
fountain called El Kas, or the Cup. Beneath 



76 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



this fountian, it is said there are vast reservoirs 
into which the water from the distant pools of 
Solomon once flowed. Perhaps it was here that 
the brazen laver of Solomon was placed. 

Wonderful thoughts crowd the mind in the 
midst of these historic scenes. One is impressed 
with the fact that legend and truth are intermin- 
gled. They must be sharply separated in order 
that one's visit may be made profitable. A 
further impression is that the statements of the 
Bible are constantly confirmed by the remains of 
the ancient time which mark this temple area. 
God's word is constantly corroborated by the 
monuments of the ancient day which still re- 
main. The church of Jesus Christ must stand 
when every vestige of tradition shall have passed 
away. From hoary rock and crumbling ruin 
witnesses are constantly rising to prove the truth 
of our Lord's words in Matt. 5 : 18 : u For verily 
I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one 
jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the 
law, till all be fulfilled." 



VII 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES — JAFFA GATE 
T^REQUENT reference has been made in 



X these lectures to the Jaffa Gate. It is close 
to the tower, or castle, of David. It is the 
gate through which those who come to Jeru- 
salem from Jaffa naturally first enter. In this 
gate there is an illustration of Matt. 19 : 24 : 
"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye 
of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the 
kingdom of God." It is believed by many that 
the reference to the greater ease with which a 
camel could go through the eye of a needle than 
a rich man, who trusts in his riches, should enter 
heaven, is because of the small gate which one 
finds in the large gate known as the Jaffa Gate. 
It is certain that this small opening is still called 
the "Needle's Eye." This form of structure is 
common both in Palestine and in Egypt. At 
nightfall the Jaffa Gate, like the other gates in 
Jerusalem, and in many other Oriental cities, is 
closed. Laden animals must, therefore, remain 
outside the gate until morning ; but often small 
camels and donkeys, lest they should be stolen 
by the Arabs, are passed through the small gate, 
or Needle's Eye, after their loads are removed. 
A large animal, or even a comparatively small 




77 



78 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



one, laden as these animals often are, conld not 
pass through the gate ; but a small animal 
stripped and crouching can squeeze through. 
So while the rich man laden with his wealth, 
and the hypocrite inflated with pride and 
self-righteousness cannot enter the kingdom of 
heaven, the man who humbles himself, stripping 
himself of the world and of self-righteousness, 
and becoming as a little child, can enter the 
kingdom of heaven. There is, of course, some 
doubt as to whether the language used by our 
Lord in the passage quoted was suggested by the 
name then given to the smaller gate in the larger 
gate, or whether the name now given to the 
smaller gate was suggested by the language of 
the Lord in the passage to which reference has 
been made. Different writers, travelers, and 
commentators will take different views as to the 
origin of the name. Some will claim the one, 
others the other. But whichever position we 
may take regarding the origin of the name, it is 
deeply interesting that the gates of Oriental cities 
in these modern days should give so striking an 
illustration of the truth taught by Christ regard- 
ing entrance into the kingdom of God. 

The Tower of David. 1 — We enter Jerusa- 
lem again at the Jaffa Gate, and immediately 
before us there is an open space in which a fair 
is always in progress. On our left is a line of 
shops in which the chaffering usual among all 



1 2 Sam. 5 : 6, 7. 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 79 



Oriental peoples is vigorously carried on. Time 
is an element of comparatively little importance 
either for seller or buyer. Over an article cost- 
ing but a few cents there will be more loud and 
meaningless talk than a visitor from the Occident 
can well conceive. The intending purchaser 
turns away in disgust at the price asked ; but the 
intending seller is not alarmed. Each knows 
that the other is not in earnest ; neither deceives 
the other. But they will keep up the farce often 
for hours before a purchase is made. A self- 
respecting purchaser from other lands will often 
go without what he wants rather than chaffer in 
this way. On our right is the tower of David, 
on Mount Zion. This was called by Josephus 
the tower of Hippicus ; it formed part of the 
citadel, and has always been a conspicuous and 
substantial structure. Parts of this tower may 
rightly lay claim to great antiquity. The tower 
at the northeast is built at its lowest part of bev- 
eled stones from nine to thirteen feet in length, 
and some of them more than four feet high. 
Recent excavations show that for some distance 
above the foundation it is formed of the natural 
rock. When David came up from Hebron, it 
will be remembered that the Jebusites exulted in 
the strength of their fortress, impregnable as they 
supposed. They looked down proudly from their 
secure heights, and taunted David with his rela- 
tive weakness. They believed that even lame 
and blind men were able to hold a fortress which 
naturally was so strong. They did not, however, 
reckon on the bravery of their foes. Soon Joab 



8o SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



climbed the steep ascent, gained a signal victory, 
and won the chieftaincy of David's hosts. Soon 
the ancient, and seemingly everlasting gates, 
"lifted up their heads," and David entered in 
triumph, dwelt in the stronghold of Zion, and 
called it the City of David. 

Let us approach nearer to one place of marvel- 
ous interest. The spirit of the ancient time sur- 
rounds this neighborhood and fills our minds as 
we meditate on these historic facts. The Bible 
narrative becomes marvelously real in the pres- 
ence of these enduring monuments of the past, 
and of the heroic achievements of David and his 
men. Here are still the thirty steps cut into the 
rock by the old Jebusites more than three thou- 
sand years ago. These steps were used as a 
means of climbing into the fortress. Doctor 
Fish rightly suggests that David probably had 
these cuttings in mind when he said : " Whoso- 
ever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the 
Jebusites, shall be chief." How many feet have 
trodden these ancient steps ! How voiceful they 
are even to this hour ! They are witnesses to the 
heroic deeds of friends and foes " in the brave 
days of old." The fortress which David erected 
here was the stronghold of Zion in all after 
ages. Attention has been frequently called to 
the fact that if what we now see be really the 
tower of David, or that built by Herod, it was 
standing here when Christ visited Jerusalem, 
and his eyes frequently rested on this tower and 
his shadow fell upon parts of it while he walked 
in Zion. Josephus tells us that when Titus de- 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 8 1 



stroyed Jerusalem, he left standing the three 
towers built by Herod ; two of these three, left 
untouched by Titus, have been destroyed since, 
but the tower of David, or of Hippicus, still re- 
mains. With many other travelers, I regard 
this as one of the most interesting sites in Jeru- 
salem. It has been well said that probably there 
is not in Jerusalem a single building on which 
Jesus looked standing now, with the exception 
of this old tower lifting itself in its strength, its 
hoary age, and its historic testimony, near the 
Jaffa Gate. 

The Royal. Quarries. 1 — We pass on to visit 
other parts of Jerusalem ; we are not now taking 
streets or historic places in their geographical 
order. Near the Damascus Gate, the finest in 
Jerusalem, is the entrance to the Royal Quarries. 
They are vast caverns reaching beneath Bezetha, 
the northern hill, on which the Holy City is 
built. This part of underground Jerusalem was 
discovered in an apparently accidental, but al- 
together interesting, manner. Doctor Barclay, 
to whom all visitors to Jerusalem to-day are in- 
debted for his careful investigations and his elo- 
quent descriptions, discovered this entrance in 
1852 by seeing his dog disappear therein. The 
hint thus given he promptly followed, and his 
labors, and those of many other investigators in 
exploring underground Jerusalem, have been 
richly rewarded. Let us enter this dark realm. 



1 1 Kings 6 : 7. 
F 



82 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Leaving the bright light which gilds the ancient 
city with heavenly splendor, we pass into the 
darkness of these quarries. Almost immediately 
we descend a few feet, and then light our torches 
and descend still farther. We soon discover 
that the quarries are not only vast caverns, but 
a succession of chambers in great disorder. 
Here and there enormous and shapeless pillars 
are left standing to support the roof. It is al- 
most startling to remember that nearly all that 
part of Jerusalem which lies east of the street 
of the Damascus Gate stands over these quarries. 
There is thus a great underground Jerusalem ; a 
succession of mighty aisles and mammoth cham- 
bers. We soon discover that the floor of these 
quarries is very irregular, and the visitor must 
be extremely careful lest he fall into one of the 
many deep pits. The descent at the deepest 
part is said to be not less than one hundred and 
fifty feet. At the bottom of some of the deep 
excavations the bones of human skeletons have 
been found. The walls are covered in places 
with crystalline encrustations caused by the 
water as it has trickled down. In other cases 
stalactites hang from the ceiling and stalagmites 
rise from the floor. Here are unfinished stones 
looking as if the workmen had just ceased their 
labors for the noonday meal and had forgotten 
to return to resume their work. Here are the 
marks of the saws where the stones were re- 
moved from the rock, and here are vast blocks 
cut from the rock but not carried out from the 
quarry. Here is a hole cut by the workmen, 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 83 



and once filled with water which they used at 
their meals or while they pursued their toils. 
Here are the slight depressions made in the 
stone where the oil was placed, which, when 
illuminated, became a lamp furnishing them 
light as they continued their labors. Here are 
the discolorations caused by the flame of this 
rude lamp, which still remain upon the rocks. 
It is said that not less than four acres are made 
up of these quarries. Doubtless Solomon's men 
here quarried the stones for the temple. Some- 
how many persons suppose that the stone, like 
the wood of the temple, was brought to Jeru- 
salem by King Hiram from Tyre, or by some 
other great contractor from some other place. 
Indeed, the fact that the stones for Solomon's 
temple were quarried under this part of Jeru- 
salem will spoil many an eloquent sermon on 
the temple, or on some part of the description 
of its erection ; but even at the risk of spoiling 
sermons, historic truth must be told. Here is 
even now a great monolith which split in the 
process of removal, and, as I have said, the 
smoke-marks of the Phoenician workmen are 
still seen, and one of their lamps has actually 
been found in the position in which it was left 
thousands of years ago. Doubtless it was from 
this quarry that both Zerubbabel and Herod got 
the stone with which they rebuilt the temple. 
It is deeply interesting to re-people these dark 
and silent realms with the busy workmen of 
Solomou, Zerubbabel, and Herod. When Solo- 
mon's Temple was built it was in these under- 



84 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ground regions that the sound of the hammer 
and chisel was heard, so that after the stone was 
brought out, and when the temple was in pro- 
cess of erection, it could be truly said : 

No workman' s steel, no ponderous axes rung ; 
Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprung. 

It is quite certain that into these quarries 
numbers of Jews went for refuge when Titus 
took the city. We know that many found a 
hiding place in sewers and aqueducts in and 
near the city ; many thousands would hasten to 
these great quarries as their last hope when the 
capture of the city was certain. It is affirmed 
that the whole population of Jerusalem to-day 
could be stowed away in these quarries. The 
visitor to Jerusalem will never forget the feeling 
of awe that comes over him as he walks through 
these subterranean caverns. For ages and ages 
darkness and silence have reigned in their dreary 
abodes. The streets overhead have been deluged 
with blood ; through them has rushed the fierce 
populace, making them echo with the cry : 
" Crucify him ! Crucify him ! " And, as Doc- 
tor Fish has suggested, perhaps a shudder rang 
through these gloomy depths when Jesus gave 
up the ghost, and when the earth shook as if it 
shuddered at the cruelties which it witnessed. 

The Jews' Wailing Place. — All visitors to 
Jerusalem will readily agree that this is one of 
the most interesting, affecting, and often pathetic 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 85 

places in the Holy City. Here, on the evening 
of Friday, the Jews assemble for humiliation and 
supplication. All travelers who can possibly be 
in Jerusalem on that evening visit this place. It 
is near the sacred spot on which the old temple 
stood. The stones in the wall are of immense 
size, and doubtless some of them were once a 
part of the temple, or of some of the walls of its 
various courts. They are beveled at their edges 
with much care ; this fact is usually considered 
as evidence of their great age and of their former 
position as parts of the ancient temple. The 
area itself is about one hundred feet long and 
fifteen wide. The temple wall above the ground 
at this spot is sixty feet high. The place is 
reached by passing through a succession of nar- 
row, winding, and most filthy streets, and often 
no small degree of filth is found in the area it- 
self. The Jews believe that their prayers will 
find special acceptance with God when offered 
through crevices of the walls composed of stones 
which formed part of the building, regarding 
which God had said, " Mine eyes and mine heart 
shall be there perpetually." The result is that 
the Jews who come here to pray put their lips 
between the stones, and in that attitude offer 
their prayer that they may claim the promise 
just quoted. Here I found rows of Jews — men, 
women, and children — sitting in the dust in 
front of the wall or standing against it, some 
reading or reciting, others praying. They rev- 
erently touched the stones of the temple ; they 
caressed them lovingly ; they kissed them ten- 



86 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



derly, passionately. Tears literally streamed 
down their cheeks ; they were genuine tears. 
No one can doubt, however he may explain, the 
fact that the sorrow is sincere and the tears are 
genuine. Their lamentations touch the heart of 
the visitor ; no thoughts of levity intrude upon 
the reality of the sorrow which the visitor every- 
where sees. I really pitied these Jews who were 
here from many parts of the world, Jews wearing 
different garments and speaking various lan- 
guages. They meet usually from three to five 
o'clock in the afternoon, and after wailing out 
their lamentations and offering their supplica- 
tions, they go to various synagogues. They rock 
to and fro, as their lips mutter their wails and 
lamentations. Jerome makes a touching allu- 
sion to the Jewish mourners of his day who paid 
the Roman soldiers for allowing them to go and 
weep over the ruins of the Holy City. A firman 
from the sultan, for which they pay a small tax, 
gives them a perpetual right to the wailing- 
place. With equal fervor they pray and with 
equal sorrow they weep to-day. Readers will be 
glad to see an example of the beautiful litany, 
parts of which they still chant over their house 
defiled by infidels : 



THE RABBIN READS ALOUD : 

For the place that lies desolate : 
For the place that is destroyed : 
For the walls that are over- 
thrown : 
For our majesty that is de- 
parted : 

For our great men who lie dead : 



ALL THE PEOPLE RESPOND : 

We sit in solitude and mourn. 
We sit in solitude and mourn. 
We sit in solitude and mourn. 

We sit in solitude and mourn. 

We sit in solitude and mourn. 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 87 



For the precious stones that are 
buried : 

For the priests who have stum- 
bled : 

For our kings who have de- 
spised him : 



We sit in solitude and mourn. 
We sit in solitude and mourn. 
We sit in solitude and mourn. 



Another litany, consisting of five petitions and 
five responses, is frequently repeated. It will be 
observed that this litany is written after the 
manner of an antiphonal psalm : 



THE RABBIN PRAYS THUS I 

We pray thee have mercy on 
Zion : 

Haste ! haste ! Redeemer of 
Zion : 

May beauty and majesty sur- 
round Zion : 

May the kingdom soon return 
to Zion : 

May peace and joy abide with 
Zion : 



THE PEOPLE ANSWER : 

Gather the children of Jerusa- 
lem. 

Speak to the heart of Jerusa- 
lem. 

Ah ! turn thyself mercifully to 

Jerusalem. 
Comfort those who mourn over 

Jerusalem. 
And the Branch of Jesse spring 

up at Jerusalem. 



The Jews in Jerusalem are mostly very poor ; 
they live chiefly on the charity of their country- 
men in other lands ; and they spend much of 
their time visiting holy places, studying ancient 
Scriptures, and many of them are looking for- 
ward to a grave in the valley of Jehoshaphat as 
the greatest boon they can desire at the close of 
this life. 



The Via Dolorosa. — Few streets in Jerusa- 
lem deserve or receive so much attention as the 
Via Dolorosa, or "Way of Sorrow." If the 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre really stands on 
Calvary, perhaps this street is rightly designated. 



88 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



It is a narrow street and roughly paved, but is 
in some places truly picturesque with its quaint 
arches, strangely constructed houses, and very 
ancient styles of masonry. No one can look 
with indifference, however much unbelief he 
may express, on its so-called "holy places." 
Considering the many sieges which Jerusalem 
has experienced, one cannot be sure of any of its 
localities, but even though this may not be the 
very street trodden by Christ on his way to Cal- 
vary, it has at least been hallowed by the tears 
and prayers of millions of pilgrims during the 
Christian centuries. They have come from 
many lands ; they have had many superstitions ; 
they showed much ignorance, but many of them 
had a desire to follow the footsteps of Christ, 
according to their light, as their L,ord and 
Master. I must admit that there was to me no 
satisfactory historic evidence of the genuineness 
of these sacred sites ; the street was not even 
known in connection with these sacred associa- 
tions until the fourteenth century. But we have 
at last the Pretorium, where Christ was arrayed 
in purple and crowned with thorns. This place 
I visited with the deepest interest. Here is 
shown the entrance to the Hall of Judgment, 
where Pilate declared Christ was innocent ; the 
spot where Peter stood when he denied his Lord ; 
the Ecce Homo Arch, where Pilate exhibited 
him to the people ; the place of the binding of 
the cross on the shoulder of Christ ; the place 
where he sank under it and where Simon of 
Cyrene was compelled to carry it ; and the im- 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 89 



pression of Christ's shoulder as he leaned on the 
wall for support ; also the house of Veronica, 
who wiped his brow and on whose handkerchief 
his features were forever imprinted ; and the 
place where Jesus said, " Daughters of Jerusa- 
lem, weep not for me." Here also are shown 
the house of Lazarus and the house of Dives. 
One cannot have confidence in the authenticity 
of any of these sacred places, but they recall 
the historic facts as presented by the evangelists. 

The Tomb of David. — This is close to the 
Lepers' Quarters ; it is by far the most remark- 
able of all the tombs in or near Jerusalem, ex- 
cept, of course, the tomb of our Lord. It is quite 
certain that David was buried in Zion, and the 
Apostle Peter tells us that "his sepulchre is 
with us unto this day." Adjoining the tomb is 
the building or mosque known as the Ccenacu- 
lum, the place where the Lord's Supper was in- 
stituted. In 1839 Sir Moses Montefiore and his 
party were admitted to the mosque. Through 
the trellised doorway they saw the tomb, but 
they were not permitted to enter it. Miss Bar- 
clay, the daughter of Dr. Barclay, the American 
missionary of whom I have already spoken, was 
later permitted, through the influence of a Mo- 
hammedan lady, to enter the tomb and to make 
a sketch of its salient features. The room is not 
large, but is richly furnished. The sarcophagus 
is of rough stone and is covered with green satin 
tapestry richly embroidered with gold. The real 
tomb is possibly in a cave below, the door to 



9o 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



which is covered with black velvet tapestry em- 
broidered in silver. Near this door hangs an 
ever-burning lamp ; in the southwest corner a 
staircase descends to the lower room, and in the 
middle of it is shown the place where, it is said, 
our Lord celebrated his last Passover, and insti- 
tuted his Supper with his disciples. The place 
where it is claimed the table stood is pointed 
out, and a stone in the wall marks the place 
where the Lord sat or reclined. If this really is 
" the upper room " of Scripture, what wonderful 
events have happened here ! The preparation 
for the last supper, the washing of the disciples' 
feet, the institution of the supper itself, the ten 
days' prayer meeting while waiting for the ful- 
fillment of the promise of the Spirit's descent, 
and the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pen- 
tecost ! Marvels upon marvels ! what histories 
concerning time and eternity are suggested to us 
by this place ! If only one could be sure that it 
is the real place, how his soul would glow with 
holy emotion, with lofty aspiration, and with 
divine inspiration. The tombs of the Kings and 
the tombs of the Judges, on the north of Jeru- 
salem, are also objects of great interest. 

Many lessons are suggested by the places we 
have visited. Whatever the historic facts regard- 
ing the strait gate may be, there is, as taught us 
in Matt. 7 : 13, 14, a strait gate for every human 
soul. This truth it is well for us constantly to 
appreciate and daily to emphasize. We also may 
learn that the whole world is a quarry in which 
God is getting material for the spiritual temple. 



VARIOUS INTERESTING PLACES 9 1 



Again, did time permit us to enlarge upon the 
thought, it would be profitable to emphasize the 
fact that all of us, like Christ, must carry our 
cross to our Calvary ; and, finally, we may learn 
that we daily may hold communion with Christ 
as truly as did the disciples in that upper room, 
and that we daily may be under the inspiration 
of the Holy Spirit, for since his descent on the 
day of Pentecost every believer has become his 
sacred and august temple. 



VIII 



" ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM " 

WB cannot do better than start again at the 
Jaffa Gate. Directly before us, as we 
begin our tour outside the walls, is the valley of 
Gihon into which we descend. This valley is 
memorable as the place where Solomon was 
crowned and proclaimed king. Here are the 
upper and lower pools of Gihon. The lower 
pool is six hundred feet long and two hundred 
and fifty feet wide, and its depth is from thirty- 
five to forty feet. It is believed by those compe- 
tent to express an opinion that this great reser- 
voir dates from the time of Hezekiah. Tradition 
says it was here that David saw Bathsheba bath- 
ing, when the thoughts of evil entered into his 
mind, which resulted in his act of perfidious 
murder. 

The valley of Gihon is changed to the valley 
of Hinnom as it turns eastward. It also grows 
narrower until it becomes a ravine with steep 
and rocky sides. It separates Mount Zion on the 
north from the hill of Evil Counsel and the 
plain of Rephaim on the south. On the south- 
ern border overlooking the eastern end of this 
valley, Solomon built the high places to Moloch. 1 

1 I Kings II : 7. 

92 



ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM " 



93 



Usually kings followed the practice begun by 
Solomon, so that Ahaz and Manasseh did not 
spare their own sons, but made them pass through 
the fire to Moloch. This false and cruel God was 
set up in the very face of the true God. It is 
quite probable that Baal and Moloch were differ- 
ent names for the same abominable deity. There 
was in this valley a great iron image of this idol, 
and little children were placed on the red-hot 
hands of the image, their agonizing shrieks be- 
ing drowned by the clattering cymbals in the 
hands of the worshipers and by the wild shouts 
which accompanied the beating of the cymbals. 
Milton thus describes these abominations : 

Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood 

Of human sacrifice and parents' tears, 

Though for the noise of drums and timbrels loud 

Their children's cries unheard, that passed through fire 

To his grim idol — in the pleasant vale of Hinnom, To- 

phet thence, 
And black gehenna called, the type of Hell. 

The good Josiah with a strong hand put a stop 
to the Satanic practice of infant sacrifice. He 
made the place a place of refuse and a charnel 
house ; and it became so odious that later the 
Jews called it "Ge-Hinnom," or, as the word has 
become in later usage, "Gehenna," making this 
place symbolical of the fire of eternal torment. 

Within this valley is the traditional Field of 
Blood, or Aceldema of the traitor Judas. This 
place is on the southern face of the valley at the 
eastern end. Tombs abound in the vicinity ; 



94 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



tombs of hermits, Crusaders, and pilgrims, some 
of the latter being of recent date. In some of 
these tombs lepers and other outcasts now find a 
home. The hill is called the "Hill of Evil 
Counsel " from the tradition that here was the 
country house of Caiaphas in which he met the 
Jews to form a conspiracy as to how they might 
best put Jesus to death. Near here is En-Rogel, 
a word which means the " Fuller's Fountain " ; 
some believe it to be the "well of Nehemiah." 
It will be remembered that at this fountain Jon- 
athan and Ahimaaz waited for news from David 
in his time of trouble ; " for they might not be 
seen to come into the city." 1 When Adonijah 
"exalted himself, saying, I will be king," it was 
at this fountain that he celebrated his coronation 
feast 2 This well is in one of the most fertile 
spots around Jerusalem. It is walled up with 
large squared stones, is one hundred and twenty- 
five feet deep, and at times is full to overflowing. 

Pooi, of Silo am. — This is an object of very 
great interest. Around few places in or near 
Jerusalem do so many tender, beautiful, and po- 
etic memories gather as about the pool of Siloam. 
This pool is supplied by a fountain of the same 
name, and around it are ancient stones and ma- 
sonry. There are some broken pillars in the 
pool, and in certain places it is lined with very 
old stone work. In Isa. 8 : 6, we read of " the 
waters of Shiloah that go softly." This beautiful 



1 2 Sam. 17 : 17. 



2 I Kings 1 : 9. 



" ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM " 95 

imagery of the old prophet has given its poetic 
suggestion to a'll writers since his day. All our 
thoughts of this pool are colored by the descrip- 
tions given in Scripture and by the later writers 
in prose and poetry. Perhaps Isaiah's imagery 
led Milton to describe this rill as, 

Siloa' s brook that flowed 
Fast by the oracle of God. 

If we follow the stream for a little distance we 
shall come to the pool of Siloam. It is fifty- 
three feet long, eighteen feet broad, and nineteen 
feet deep. The broken columns of which I have 
spoken probably indicate that a church was once 
built over this historic pool. Is this really the 
pool to which Christ sent the blind man, saying 
to him after he had anointed his eyes with clay : 
" Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " ? The ques- 
tion immediately suggests itself to the traveler 
who is familiar with this incident in the life of 
our I^ord ; for these waters thus formed a part of 
the wonder-working power of Jesus Christ. Were 
they the first thing which this man saw after 
he had washed therein ? Standing beside these 
waters, his eyes now opened, did he look up and 
for the first time behold the light, and gaze on 
the city and on the valley? What thoughts 
must have filled his soul, and what thoughts fill 
our souls as we now recall these wonderful 
events ! At certain seasons of the year red an- 
emones bloom in the crevices and around the 
edges of the old pool ; they also fringe the riv- 
ulet as it flows from under the brow of the hill. 



96 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



These facts were doubtless in the mind of Bishop 
Heber when he wrote the lines which we often 
sing in our public services, lines which seem still 
to reproduce the imagery of Isaiah and the sug- 
gestion of Milton, and lines which bring their 
benediction of peace to their readers or singers : 

By cool Siloam' s shady rill 
How fair the lily grows ! 

Probably it was from Siloam that the water 
was drawn to pour on the sacrifices on the last 
great day of the feast. It was this fact that sug- 
gested our Lord's words on a memorable occa- 
sion: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, 
and drink." The gardens below Siloam form 
certainly one of the greenest and most attractive 
spots in the vicinity of Jerusalem. There is a 
zigzag passage nearly two thousand feet long cut 
through the rock which connects Siloam with 
the Fountain of the Virgin on the opposite side 
of Ophel. The water of this fountain often 
bursts out in a great stream, and then as sud- 
denly subsides. The common people believe 
that a dragon dwells in the fountain, and that 
when he wakes he stops the flowing of the water, 
but when he sleeps it resumes its flowing as be- 
fore. Tradition points out in connection with 
this fountain the spot where the Virgin Mary 
washed the swaddling clothes of the infant Sav- 
iour. Some have supposed that the fountain of 
the Virgin is the Bethesda of the New Testa- 
ment, where our Lord cured the impotent man ; 
but others place the pool of Bethesda within the 



"ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM" 



97 



walls and near St. Stephen's Gate. Perhaps the 
consensus of opinion in our day is toward this 
latter place as the true pool of Bethesda. 

The modern Arab village called Silwan is a 
miserable place, some of the huts being old sep- 
ulchres hewn in the rock. Near here was the 
tower of Siloam which fell and slew eighteen 
persons. 1 

The King's Gardens are at the point of junc- 
tion of Hinnom and Kedron. The name comes 
from the opinion that David and Solomon had 
splendid gardens here, the spot being even now 
most attractive. On either side are fig, olive, 
and pomegranate trees, while gardens of melons 
and cucumbers at certain seasons of the year 
give an idea of remarkable freshness and equal 
fruitfulness. The hills on either side are ter- 
raced and were once beautifully cultivated. Ne- 
hemiah tells us that the King's Gardens were 
opposite the pool of Siloam, and were watered 
by that pool. A venerable mulberry tree is 
shown in this vicinity, supported by a pillar of 
loose stones ; this tree is said to mark the spot 
where the cruel Manasseh put the prophet Isaiah 
to death, causing him to be sawn asunder. The 
tree is therefore called "Isaiah's Tree." One 
of the most attractive spots in this neighborhood 
is still called, as it was believed to have been 
called of old, "The King's Dale." 

The so-called tombs of Zechariah, Saint James, 
Jehoshaphat, and Absalom are in the valley of 



1 Luke 13 : 4. 
G 



98 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Jehoshaphat. To this valley, or this part of the 
general valley, we now come. We are continu- 
ing our course around the southern portion of 
the city — let us keep our geographical relations 
clearly in mind. We cannot, however, be sure 
of the identity of any of these tombs. The 
style of the architecture clearly shows that the 
so-called tomb of Absalom is not the pillar 
which he reared for himself during his lifetime 
in the King's Dale. There is so much of doubt 
regarding all these tombs that one cannot speak 
of their identity with any degree of certainty. 

The Garden of Gethsemane. — We con- 
tinue our journey until we have reached the 
eastern side of Jerusalem. We are now about 
to approach one of the most sacred, and, in the 
thought of many Christian believers, the most 
sacred place in the vicinity of Jerusalem, — or 
even in the whole world, — the garden of Geth- 
semane. This garden is from a quarter to half a 
mile east of the wall of the city. The tradition 
which places the betrayal of Christ here is much 
supported. Doctor Fish, in his excellent volume 
to which I have already referred, quotes Euse- 
bius, bishop of Csesarea, who lived almost early 
enough to have known some who had seen the 
companions of the apostles, as speaking of the 
garden as a well-known place. Jerome, a half- 
century later, describes the situation of the place 
as in harmony with the present locality. Prob- 
ably the garden originally covered considerably 
more space than is now occupied by what is 



" ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM » 99 



known as Gethsemane. It now embraces about 
one-third of an acre ; to be more exact, it meas- 
ures one hundred and sixty feet by one hundred 
and fifty feet. It is surrounded by a reasonably 
high wall, perhaps about six feet in height, cov- 
ered with white stucco. This wall was erected 
in 1847 by the Franciscans. A rock to the east 
of the door marks the spot where the Apostles 
Peter and John slept. There is also outside the 
wall a fragment of a column which indicates the 
traditional spot where Judas betrayed his Lord 
with a kiss. Passing through the gate in this 
wall, we find a space of perhaps five feet be- 
tween this wall and an iron fence which sur- 
rounds the garden. In none of the descriptions 
which I have seen of this garden, is there an 
allusion to this iron fence. The space which it 
encloses is laid out in walks and flower beds in- 
terspersed with a few shrubs and trees of smaller 
growth. There are eight olive trees of large 
size and of great age ; they were not there in the 
time of our Lord, for we know that Titus, in 
preparation for the siege of Jerusalem, cut down 
all the trees in the vicinity of the city. But 
there is almost no doubt that the trees which are 
there now grew from the stumps and roots of the 
trees which were there in Christ's time, and 
which were the witnesses of his unspeakable 
agony. These trees are shored up with heaps of 
stones lest the wind should blow them down. 
They are also supported, in part, by bars of iron. 
There are also six cypress trees in the garden ; 
these latter trees, for some reason, are generally 



LOFG. 



IOO SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



omitted in the descriptions which travelers give 
of this sacred place. The garden is carefully 
kept by the Latin monks, and all forms of dese- 
cration are prevented. Here and there fences 
shut off particular spots, but on the inner side of 
the outer wall very poor pictures dishonor the 
place, and disturb one's desire to reproduce the » 
wondrous past. I visited the garden for the 
second time at sundown on Sunday evening. I 
left at a little distance my dragoman and two 
others, dwellers in Jerusalem, who chanced to be 
with us that day, that I might be alone with my 
thoughts, that I might read again the Scripture 
narrative of our Lord's agony in the garden, and 
that I might make the scene of his sufferings 
real and personal. Some have said that the 
present garden is not sufficiently lonely and 
secluded to harmonize with the descriptions 
given by the evangelists, and that possibly the 
agony of our Lord occurred in the larger garden 
which existed, as it is supposed, in that day, and 
not in the portion of the garden now shown. 
But it seemed to me to be a place of peculiar 
loneliness and seclusion. The Mount of Olives 
overhangs it on the one side and the embattled 
walls of Jerusalem on the other. It is a fitting 
spot for one desiring to be alone with God at 
evening's holy hour, or under the shadows cast 
by the olive trees under the light of the Passover 
moon. An American woman has furnished a 
sufficient amount of money to maintain a tank 
of water in the garden. This provision enables 
the guardians to keep the flowers constantly in 



"ROUND ABOUT JERUSALEM " IOI 



bloom and the grass perpetually fresh and green. 
It was an admirable gift ; it symbolizes the 
place which the garden and its sacred scenes 
must ever have in the minds of Christians 
throughout the whole world. Thoughts of won- 
derful tenderness came into my mind on that 
Sunday evening, amid the fading light of day 
and the gathering shadows of evening. Perhaps 
near the spot where I stood did Christ endure 
the bloody sweat of agony untold ; perhaps it 
was here that the angel came and ministered 
unto him when he was exhausted with "strong 
crying and tears." 

Under the olive boughs, 

Falling like ruby beads, 
The blood drops from his brows ; 

He bleeds ! My Saviour bleeds ! 

Josephus tells us that the suburbs of Jerusa- 
lem abound with gardens and pleasure grounds. 
The word "garden," it ought to be borne in 
mind, was then used with a somewhat different 
meaning from that which we now give to the 
name. The garden of Gethsemane is now more 
truly a garden, in our use of the word, than it 
was in Christ's day. Then the word garden 
meant substantially what we mean by the word 
orchard. This garden, however, will ever be as- 
sociated with but a single event, the agony of 
the Son of God on the evening preceding his 
death on the cross. Here was fulfilled the 
prophecy of Isaiah regarding the Christ : "I 
have trodden the wine-press alone." The word 



102 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Gethsemane means an olive press. The garden 
is bnt a few paces to the south from the so-called 
tomb of the Virgin. The entrance is from the 
Mount of Olives toward the southeast. The 
olive oil yielded by the trees in the garden is 
still sold for a high price, and many rosaries are 
still made from the olive stones. 

This garden was to me holy ground ; here, if 
ever, I felt like taking my shoes from off my 
feet. Yonder on Calvary Christ's body was cru- 
cified ; but here in Gethsemane was the cruci- 
fixion of his soul. Yonder he gave up his life ; 
here he yielded his soul in sweet obedience to 
the Father's will. There the letter of the law 
was satisfied ; here the weight of the law, in its 
spiritual import, fell on the soul of Christ. In 
this garden his " own familiar friend betrayed 
him." Here the Captain of our salvation ex- 
perienced the truth that the soul of his suffer- 
ings was the suffering of his soul. And here in 
the quiet of my own heart, at evening's holy 
hour, I strove to dedicate myself afresh in un- 
swerving loyalty to my crucified L,ord, and in 
unceasing love for the souls of men for whom 
he died. 



IX 



BETHLEHEM — " HOUSE OF BREAD " 
'HERB is no sweeter name in Palestine, and 



but few sweeter names in any land or 
tongue, than Bethlehem. In it are ten thousand 
memories of joy and tenderness. There is no 
pleasanter ride in Palestine than that between 
Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The distance is only 
about six miles ; the road is practically level, 
and it is marked by more evidences of industry 
and prosperity than are usual in Palestine. All 
the historical allusions connected with the journey 
to Bethlehem, and with the place itself, are in- 
teresting and instructive to an unusual degree. 
Once more we start from the Jaffa Gate ; we de- 
scend into the valley of Gihon, crossing it at the 
upper end of the lower pool, we go over the hill 
of Evil Counsel, and soon are on the broad plain 
of the Giants. In, or near, the valley of the 
Giants, valley of Rephaim, David fought many 
a hard fight, twice defeating the Philistines 
here. 1 Over this plain Solomon often drove in 
splendor to his pools and gardens. The valley 
is a broad, cultivated upland, and is between 
four and five miles long. On our left hand, 
shortly after leaving the city, we have the tradi- 




1 2 Sam. 5 : 17-25 ; 23 : 13 ; I Cliron. II : 15, 16; 14 : 9-16. 

103 



104 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



tional tree on which Judas hanged himself ; and 
also the country house of Caiaphas, the high 
priest. The boundary between Judah and Ben- 
jamin is here crossed. As we journeyed toward 
Bethlehem, it was interesting to remember that 
probably along this very road the wise men from 
the East journeyed when they left Herod in Je- 
rusalem to worship the true King in the manger 
at Bethlehem. Shortly before reaching the top 
of the long rise of ground, forming part of the 
low ridge between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, we 
see the well of the Magi, as it is called. Tradi- 
tion informs us that the wise men, after leaving 
Herod, were in doubt as to the direction which 
they should take, and, being weary with their 
journey, they stopped to draw water. At that 
moment, to their equal surprise and joy, they 
saw the star reflected in the well. With fresh 
courage and complete assurance, they followed 
the star " until it stood over where the young- 
child was." Reaching the top of the long hill, 
we are at the convent known as Mar-Elyas ; this 
is a large building and is the property of the 
Greek Church. There is a legend that here 
Elijah was helped by the angels in his flight 
from Jezebel. Opposite the convent is a rock 
in which there are certain depressions made, ac- 
cording to the tradition, by the body of Elijah 
when he lay on the rock during his flight from 
the wrath of Jezebel. These statements are pure 
traditions, and without any basis in historic fact. 
It is much more probable that the convent is 
named from a certain Bishop Elias, who was its 



BETHLEHEM — " HOUSE OF BREAD " 1 05 



founder, and that the Prophet Elijah has no real 
connection whatever with the name. At this 
point the view is remarkably interesting. We 
were glad here to dismount and take a little time 
in looking backward to Jerusalem and forward 
to Bethlehem. From this ridge both places are 
visible, — the one the place in which Christ was 
born, the other that in which he died. The pe- 
culiar transparency of the atmosphere in Pales- 
tine makes distance very deceptive. Places three 
to five miles distant seem to be not more than 
half a mile. From the same cause voices can 
easily be heard at distances so great as to aston- 
ish those accustomed to live in the cloudy at- 
mosphere of most countries. 

Descending the hill we soon reach the tomb of 
Rachel. The building over the tomb is modern, 
and is crowned with a dome ; beneath this dome 
rest the ashes of Jacob's beloved Rachel. It is 
one of the few shrines which Moslems, Jews, 
and Christians agree in honoring. The story in 
Gen. 35 : 16-20, giving an account of Rachel's 
death, is one of the most touching in any his- 
tory. After the lapse of thousands of years, 
years of sorrow and joy, defeat and triumph, the 
story is not effaced from the memory of Rachel's 
posterity. Week by week women come to wail 
with wild expressions of grief at this ancient 
tomb. Nothing can be more touching than the 
account of Rachel's death. We are distinctly 
informed that as her soul was departing, she 
called the name of her new-born son, Benoni, 
son of my sorrow ; but his father called him 



Io6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Benjamin, the son of my right hand. Then 
Rachel died and was buried in the way to Eph- 
rath, which is Bethlehem ; and Jacob set a pil- 
lar upon her grave. For fourteen long years he 
served L,aban in order to win Rachel as his bride ; 
and these years seemed to him but a few days be- 
cause of the tender love which he cherished to- 
ward her. After long and weary years had passed, 
and the old man was nearing his end, he repeats 
with touching particularity and the tenderest 
pathos the details of her death and burial. 1 

A short distance west of Rachel's tomb is a 
village named Beit Jala ; it has a population of 
about three thousand, mostly Greek Christians. 
It is also the residence of the Latin and Greek 
patriarchs. It has been supposed by many that 
this is the ancient Zelzah. If so, it was here 
that Saul was met by the messengers of Samuel, 
who said : " The asses which thou wentest to 
seek are found ; and lo, thy father hath left the 
care of the asses, and sorroweth for thee, saying, 
What shall I do for my son? " 2 Soon we reach 
a point where there were two roads ; the one 
going to Bethlehem and the other to Solomon's 
Pools. The name is taken from the passage in 
Keel. 2 : 6, "I made me pools of water." We 
rode to the pools, and they are worthy of a visit. 
Without doubt before long the old channels be- 
tween these pools and the city will be repaired 
so that water may again flow as in the early day. 
Perhaps it was here that the " sealed fountain " 



1 Gen. 48 : 7. 



2 I Sam. 10 : 2. 



BETHLEHEM — " HOUSE OF BREAD " IO? 



of Solomon's Song was located. These pools con- 
sist of three large cisterns of marble masonry ; the 
basins are still in an excellent state of preserva- 
tion. Parts of the pools doubtless date from 
Solomon's time, although restored by Pontius 
Pilate and others. These pools formerly fur- 
nished a supply of water for Jerusalem ; now, 
however, it is conveyed only to Bethlehem. But 
efforts are making to trace the course of the 
original aqueduct, and it is not too much to say 
that water will again flow along this ancient 
duct to Jerusalem. The pools are an interesting 
object for all tourists and should be visited by 
them if possible. Not far from the pools of 
Solomon is the valley of Etham, the modern 
Urtas. Doctor Fish, Doctor Bonar, and others, 
among them being Mr. Meshullam, a Christian 
Jew, who has lived for more than thirty years in 
the village, believe that this is the true Emmaus 
to which the two disciples were retiring when 
Jesus overtook them. The Arabs call the place 
El-Hammour, meaning "baths"; the meaning 
of Emmaus is " warm spring," and it is just 
about the right distance from Jerusalem as de- 
scribed by Luke. Josephus mentions a village 
just about this distance. Jerome and Eusebius, 
making it identical with the Emmaus on the 
border of the plain of Philistia, afterward called 
Nicopolis, would place it there. Doctor Rob- 
inson gives the weight of his name to the old 
theory, but the distance from Jerusalem, twenty 
miles, is fatal to it. The latest theory, if that of 
Doctor Fish be not accepted, places it at the 



Io8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



present El-Kubeibeh, about nine miles north- 
west of Jerusalem. Rector Zschokka, of the Aus- 
trian pilgrim-house at Jerusalem, takes this view 
in an able monograph on this subject. 

We shortly went to Bethlehem. The views 
of Bethlehem, as the ancient town is approached, 
are picturesque in the extreme. It is seen to be 
an irregular village on a broken and rugged hill. 
The composite character of the church of the 
Nativity and the convent, leaves one for a time 
in doubt whether he is approaching a castle or 
a church. Undulating hills stand around the 
ancient town ; fig and olive trees and vines are 
seen on the terraced hills. The houses are of 
whitish limestone. The roofs of some of them 
are flat, while others have domes. It is said 
there are but about three hundred to four hun- 
dred houses and the population is about five 
thousand. The people are usually called Chris- 
tians ; but the name is simply a general term 
to indicate that they are neither Jews nor Mo- 
hammedans. The manufacture of rosaries, trin- 
kets, and souvenirs of various kinds, is the chief 
means of support. We can readily believe that 
this is the most Christian town in Palestine. 
The people have the reputation of being turbu- 
lent as well as handsome ; the women certainly 
are among the finest-looking in the whole land. 
They seem to be more European than Asiatic. 
Perhaps, indeed, they are European rather than 
Oriental. Doubtless some of them are the re- 
mote descendants of the crusaders who married 
native women and remained in the vicinity. 



BETHLEHEM — " HOUSE OF BREAD" 109 



As we approach the city let us refresh our 
memories with Bible references to Bethlehem. 
It is first alluded to in Scriptures as Ephratah. 
This is the Hebrew term expressive of the 
fruitfulness of the locality; it is so named in 
connection with the death of Rachel. On 
yonder plain is laid the pastoral story of Ruth, 
who gleaned behind the reapers in the fields of 
Boaz. Perhaps near yonder city gate occurred 
the quaint procedure, in fulfillment of the Mo- 
saic law, when Ruth became the wife of Boaz, 
and so finally the mother of kings and of the 
Saviour of the world. Here David was anointed 
by Samuel to be king of Israel. On yonder 
hills he had spent his youth tending sheep, and 
these glens and valleys echoed those glorious 
songs, which have since sounded through the 
world. It has been supposed that the family of 
David kept possession of their ancestral lands 
on the hills of Bethlehem until the birth of 
Christ. If so, Joseph, in going with Mary from 
Nazareth to Bethlehem, was literally going to 
his own house, because he was of the house 
and lineage of David. It has been conjectured 
that the habitation or house of Chimham 1 was 
originally the dwelling-place of Boaz, then of 
Jesse, and so of the family and descendants 
of David. It may thus have been the khan 
or inn to which Joseph and Mary came. The 
birth of great David's greater Son has given 
Bethlehem its glory and immortality. Because 



»Jer. 41 : 17. 



IIO SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



here the Christ was born the name of Bethle- 
hem is sung at the Christmas-tide by thousands 
of children round the globe, and will be sung 
so long as time shall last. 1 

Yonder, a mile east of the town, is the plain 
of the shepherds. From this spot the heavenly 
minstrelsies broke forth ; here the stars looked 
down on the scene of the wondrous birth, and 
if they sang at the world's creation, might they 
not sing at its redemption? What prophecies 
were here fulfilled ! What hopes were here 
born ; what glories illumined the night with 
their heavenly splendors ; what influences have 
gone hence to save this sinful world ! One 
might fill a volume with the thoughts suggested 
by the name of Bethlehem. Most fitting was it 
that he who was the Bread of heaven should be 
born in the town Bethlehem — house of bread. 

The Church of the Nativity. — This 
church stands on the traditional spot of the 
illustrious birth. There are ancient traditions 
that Christ was born in a cave or grotto near 
which was the inn of Bethlehem, in which there 
was no room for the weary travelers on this 
eventful occasion. Justin Martyr places the 
scene of the nativity in a cave. The church 
erected over the alleged place of the birth is a 
fortress-like pile of buildings, including three 
convents ; one belonging to the Latin, one to 
the Greek, and one to the Armenian Church. It 



1 Micah 5 : 2. 



BETHLEHEM — "HOUSE OF BREAD " III 



stands at the eastern extremity of the village. 
The building is one hundred and twenty by one 
hundred and ten feet. It was erected by Hel- 
ena, the mother of Constantine, in the year 
327. The nave of the church is the common 
property of Christians of every name. It is said 
to be " the oldest monument of Christian archi- 
tecture in the world." It is probably all that 
now remains of the Basilica erected by Helena. 
As the property of all Christians in general, it 
is that of no sect in particular, and this fact 
may account for its neglected appearance. In 
this ancient edifice, once brilliant with colored 
marbles and fine gold, Baldwin was crowned 
as king of Jerusalem. He was the youngest 
brother of Godfrey of Bouillon ; but while God- 
frey was a disinterested enthusiast, Baldwin was 
worldly and ambitious. It is said that " the 
last repairs on the building were executed by 
Edward IV. of England." The church contains 
five rows of marble columns, each column being 
a monolith, and some of them probably once 
belonging to Solomon's temple. The roof is 
of cedar taken from Lebanon. We descend a 
spiral staircase a distance of perhaps twenty feet 
below the floor of the church, and reach the 
chapel or grotto of the nativity, which is a cave 
in the rock over which the church was erected. 
We enter a vault thirty-three feet by eleven, en- 
cased with Italian marbles and decorated with 
embroidery and ornaments of many kinds. We 
now approach a spot of peculiar sacredness. In 
the pavement is a marble slab in which is set a 



112 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



silver star, as indicating the exact place of our 
Lord's birth. It is not surprising that pilgrims 
kneel in reverence on or beside this star, and 
kiss the star and the marble in which it is set. 
Around the star is this inscription ; " Hie de 
Virgine Maria JesitsChristusnatusest" Above 
this star sixteen silver lamps continually burn. 
Of these, six belong to the Greek Church, five 
to the Latin, and five to the Armenian. Fierce 
fights have often taken place at the very spot 
where the Prince of Peace was born. Not long 
ago a representative of the Greek Church came 
into savage conflict with a priest of the Roman 
Church at this place. Firearms were immedi- 
ately drawn, and the Roman priest was shot. 
The case became a somewhat celebrated one, but 
the prisoner mysteriously escaped and was never 
brought to trial. Such conduct is a sad com- 
mentary on human nature as manifested at the 
place of our Lord's birth. 

The incarnation of Christ is the greatest mys- 
tery in human history. If we grant the manger 
at Bethlehem, all else in the life of our Lord 
was to be expected. Here it was that the Word 
became flesh ; here it was that divinity was hu- 
manized in order that humanity might be divin- 
ized ; here it was that the Son of God became a 
Son of man that the sons of men might become 
sons of God. There is no more impressive and 
suggestive place beneath the heavens than this 
star which indicates the alleged place of Christ's 
birth. Perhaps there is no good reason for our 
doubting that this is the exact spot of the mighti- 



BETHLEHEM — u HOUSE OF BREAD " 113 



est event of which our sinful world has been the 
theatre. 

Other Interesting Sites. — Not far distant 
from the spot we have been considering is the 
chapel of the Manger. Here, according to tra- 
dition, the wooden manger is said to have been 
discovered. This manger is now in the church 
of St. Maria Maggiore at Rome. Near this is 
the altar of the Magi, which marks the spot 
where the wise men presented their gifts. Here 
are the chapel of Joseph, indicating where he 
retired at the time of the holy birth, and where 
the angel appeared commanding the flight into 
Egypt ; and the altar of the Innocents. Tradi- 
tion tells us that thousands of the children slain 
by Herod were buried here ; but there never was 
a greater error than to suppose that thousands, 
or hundreds, or even scores of children were slain 
by Herod. A careful interpretation of all the 
facts will probably show that there could not 
have been more than ten or twelve children of 
the age described in the neighborhood. There 
is not space here to go into details, but one haz- 
ards no risk in affirming that probably at the 
outside, not more than ten or a dozen children 
were slain by Herod. Infidels have savagely 
criticised the Bible narrative, as if it were re- 
sponsible for the enormous exaggerations of 
irresponsible medieval monks and saints. 

Not far distant is the so-called tomb of Eu- 
sebius, but much doubt must always be associ- 
ated with its authenticity. Near to the birth- 

H 



114 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



place of our I^ord is the chapel and tomb of St. 
Jerome. Here he spent thirty of his declining 
years, believing that all the while the peals of 
the last judgment trump were sounding in his 
ears. Dean Stanley in his " Sinai and Palestine " 
gives a thrilling description of these long years 
of toils and tears, of prayers and penances. Here 
Jerome wrote his books and spent his time in 
the greatest austerities. He was the only one 
of the many monks sheltered in this grotto since 
the time of Constantine, as Dean Stanley reminds 
us, whose name has traveled through the world. 
Here he dreamed, studied, prayed, and fasted ; 
here he gathered round him, in small commu- 
nities, devoted followers who became the centers 
of conventual life in Palestine. Here the fiery 
spirit of his Dalmatian birthplace found expres- 
sion in translations, commentaries, and letters. 
From this lonely cave he sent forth influences 
which to some degree have shaped the religious 
and philosophical thinking of the world. His 
great work, however, was his famous translation 
of the Scriptures, which is still the " Biblia Vul- 
gata " of the L,atin Church. Dean Stanley calls 
special attention to that most pathetic scene, his 
last communion and death, at which all the 
world has been in a sense present through the 
wonderful painting of Domenichino. The great 
painter has given us a vivid representation of the 
exhausted frame and sinking flesh and conse- 
crated spirit of Jerome pluming itself for its 
flight to the skies. 

Leaving Bethlehem, we visit on the way back 



BETHLEHEM — 11 HOUSE OF BREAD" 115 



to Jerusalem the well of Bethlehem, or David's 
Well. It is the place referred to in 2 Sam. 23 : 
13-17. It will be remembered that when David 
and his men were in the cave of Adullam, David 
longed for a drink from this well, saying : " Oh 
that one would give me drink of the water of the 
well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate." But 
Bethlehem was garrisoned by the Philistines. 
Three brave men heard David's wish, and with 
great heroism dashed through the Philistine 
ranks and soon returned, bringing David the 
water for which he had longed. With a chiv- 
alry worthy of all praise, David would not drink 
the water, to procure which his followers had 
risked their lives, but he poured it out as an 
offering unto the Lord. Not far distant is the 
Milk Grotto, with its legends of the infant Jesus 
and his mother. Yonder is a shepherd going 
before his sheep, calling them by name and lead- 
ing them out, perhaps from the very spot where 
shepherds heard the notes of angelic song on the 
night that Christ was born. 

We hasten back to Jerusalem. The sun is 
nearing its setting. L,epers with their wild tones 
and shriveled forms meet us asking alms. This 
has been a wonderful afternoon ; never, never 
shall I forget the afternoon of the twenty-eighth 
of September, 1895, when I stood over the silver 
star which marks the place of the birth of Jesus 
Christ, Son of man, Son of God, Child of the 
manger, and Ancient of days. 



X 



FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 
B now pass out of Jerusalem through St. 



V V Stephen's Gate and descend into the 
valley of Kedron ; and passing the garden of 
Gethsemane, we soon bear upward over a de- 
pression of the Mount of Olives. This moun- 
tain is now called Jebel-et-Tur. It is a ridge 
two miles long, running north on the east side 
of Jerusalem, from which it is separated by the 
Kedron Valley. It rises two thousand six hun- 
dred and sixty-five feet above the Mediterranean, 
and about three thousand five hundred feet above 
the Jordan Valley, only fifteen miles distant. 
There are many tombs cut in the rocks on the 
side of the mountain. Perhaps there is no spot 
on the whole globe which unites so glorious a 
view with so many solemn and sublime memo- 
ries. Up this mountain David climbed when 
fleeing from Absalom, and over it he, who was 
David's son and David's Iyord, often passed 
going to and from Jerusalem. 

The spot is finally reached where Christ, on 
the day of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, 
wept over the doomed city. Passing toward 
Bethany we soon arrive at the place pointed out 
as that where the fig tree stood on which Jesus 




FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 117 



pronounced his anathema because of its fruit- 
lessness. Like the Jewish nation, it was guilty 
of hypocrisy ; it flaunted its foliage, but was en- 
tirely without fruit. With certain varieties of 
fig trees the new leaf never appears until the 
fruit is at least partly ripened. This leafy tree, 
therefore, gave promise of an abundance of fruit 
which it did not possess. Yonder is the place 
where it is supposed that Bethphage, " house of 
figs," was located. It will be remembered that 
this was the hamlet to which Jesus sent his 
disciples to "find an ass tied." This place is 
now practically a houseless ruin. 

We now press forward to Bethany. This 
town is beautifully situated on the eastern slope 
of Mount Olivet, about two miles southeast of 
Jerusalem, on the road to Jericho. We see first 
a rocky knoll where are several ancient graves, 
and where probably was the grave of Lazarus ; 
that grave was not in the village of Bethany. 
The Scripture narrative clearly points to this 
place ; we are told that it was a cave, and a 
stone lay upon it ; by this language we are to 
understand that a stone lay over its mouth. The 
dragoman or a local guide will point out a grave 
which is said to be that of Lazarus. Was it 
really to this grave that Christ pointed when he 
said, " Take ye away the stone " ? Was it here 
that Christ stood in the hushed silence, raising 
his eyes to heaven and then saying, with sub- 
lime authority, " Lazarus, come forth " ? Was 
it on this soil that Lazarus stood when he came 
forth from his grave bound hand and foot ? Did 



Il8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



he live, as tradition affirms, thirty years after- 
ward in yonder Bethany home ? Questions like 
these force themselves upon us as we tread this 
soil or stand amid the hallowed scenes of this 
historic village. Bethany is now a town of 
thirty or forty families ; it is a place without 
thrift, without industry, without intelligence, 
and so without prosperity. Its villagers are al- 
most all Moslems, and Moslems of a peculiarly 
bitter and bigoted type. A few of the houses 
are certainly old, as is shown by the large and 
beveled stones built into their walls. All trav- 
elers and writers are agreed that these stones 
clearly belong to some ancient edifice, and have 
probably been used many times in the construc- 
tion of successive buildings. The old tower on 
the hill is particularly noticeable. The present 
name of the place is Bl-Azariyeh ; this name is 
a corruption of the name L,azarus. Some, how- 
ever, claim that the true form of the word is 
Lazarieh ; if this is the true form, the connec- 
tion with L,azarus is very marked. The mean- 
ing of the word Bethany, as is generally sup- 
posed, is " house of dates " ; but some derive it 
from a word meaning "house of sorrow." It is 
admitted that the etymology of the word is still 
an unsettled question. The present name is a 
memorial of the miracle wrought by Christ in 
the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Even to 
this hour, amid the ruins of this ancient village, 
there is still a suggestion of the calmness and 
restfulness which we have long associated with 
the place. Few places in the New Testament 



FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 119 



history are more suggestive of tender memories 
than is Bethany. Groups of people may still be 
seen at the eventide returning to this quiet vil- 
lage from the busier scenes of the neighboring 
city. Bethany is, 

Not wholly in the busy world, nor quite 
Beyond it. 

One can readily imagine that here our Lord 
found the restful seclusion which made Bethany 
a place of frequent resort. Mary's act in anoint- 
ing the precious body of Jesus with the contents 
of her alabaster box, makes the place fragrant 
to this hour with the memory of her loving act. 
The odor of that ointment has filled the world. 
Vases of alabaster are still made for holding 
perfumes. It is said that the mouth is filled 
with cotton and then melted wax is poured 
over the cotton to exclude the air. It was this 
stopple which Mary broke, as Dr. Fish reminds 
us, and not the vase itself. Lazarus is now 
dead, Martha is no more " cumbered with much 
serving," and Mary no longer sits here at the 
Master's feet ; but Christ still lives, and Mary's 
act in anointing him beforehand for his burial 
still sweetens the whole atmosphere of this di- 
lapidated village, even as it adds a new charm to 
her character and to the beautiful Scripture 
narrative. 

Another event makes this vicinity famous 
forever. We shall not forget that on this deso- 
late upland, and perhaps at a point immediately 
overlooking the village, Jesus took his departure 



120 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



from the earth on his return to heaven. The 
place pointed out by tradition on the Mount of 
Olives as that of the ascension, no one considers 
to be the true location of this great event ; and 
probably it was not intended at first that any 
one should so consider it. It was selected, not 
because it was supposed to be the actual place, 
but simply that it might commemorate the actual 
occurrence. Here on the eastern declivity of 
the Mount of Olives, sheltered by gently swell- 
ing hills and apart from other sights and sounds, 
our Lord had his last interview with his dis- 
ciples. We are distinctly told that " he led them 
out as far as to Bethany." Then he delivered to 
them his final commission, and as they stood 
about him " while he blest them, he was parted 
from them, and carried up into heaven." All the 
laws of gravitation yielded him homage as their 
creator and preserver. He began to rise — he rose 
higher and higher ; and the disciples watched 
him with strange wonder and great reverence 
until the cloud received him out of their sight. 
How wonderfully real was the story of the ascen- 
sion as we stood on this memorable spot ! It is 
most unfortunate that the peak of the Mount of 
Olives should ever have been chosen as the site 
of the ascension ; if only we bear in mind the 
words already quoted regarding Bethany, we can 
readily see that the ascension could not have 
taken place from the top of Olivet. Once more 
the sight of the disciples as " they looked stead- 
fastly toward heaven," and once more the sight 
of the heavenly messengers in white apparel, 



FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 121 



assuring the disciples that Jesus would come 
again " in like manner as ye have seen him go 
into heaven, " was present to our thought as we 
turned away from this sacred spot to continue 
our journey. 

Down to Jericho. — Our Lord was wonder- 
fully exact in all his uses of speech. He con- 
formed to the usages of his time so far as they 
were in harmony with truth. When in his fa- 
miliar parable he tells us that "a certain man 
went down from Jerusalem to Jericho," 1 he 
speaks with absolute accuracy. Between these 
two places there is a literal descent of nearly 
four thousand feet. Leaving Bethany the coun- 
try slopes in a succession of naked hills of white 
limestone and dreary glens for about ten miles. 
Then what is properly called the valley of the 
Jordan is reached. Desolation here reigns ; all 
about us is a wilderness stern and dreary ; all 
about us are barren rocks and numerous hills. 
It is common for us to associate the idea of 
abundant vegetation with the word wilderness, 
but according to the Jewish idea, a wilderness 
was largely a place of desolation. Here we 
have a jumble of villages, hills, and ragged ra- 
vines. For weary miles there is little except 
ledges of limestone rocks, glaring in the suni 
and seldom relieved by a tree or by even a sin- 
gle blade of grass. There is little to support 
wild beasts or even birds in this desolate region ; 



Luke 10 : 30. 



122 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



indeed, it has been said that birds could scarcely 
find here material enough with which to build 
their nests. Vividly comes to the thought the 
picture of John the Baptist, clothed with camel's 
hair and a girdle of skins about his loins and 
" as the voice of one crying in the wilderness." 
Travelers have often likened this region to what 
the ocean would become if, when its waves were 
rolling mountains high and in wildest confusion, 
it should be suddenly congealed and finally 
petrified. 

Through this desolate region the road to Jeri- 
cho passes. Remains of Roman times are seen 
where the roads were cut through the barriers 
of lofty rocks. We are now passing the spot 
where our I^ord locates the scene of the parable 
of the Good Samaritan and of the man who fell 
among theives. Here again we see how fully 
Jesus appreciated the fitness of things, and how 
skillfully he harmonized the physical peculiari- 
ties of places with the spiritual purposes which 
he desired to accomplish in his parables. It 
would be difficult to find in Palestine a worse 
place than this in which to meet a robber ; in 
order to find a worse place it would be necessary 
to go beyond the Jordan. Even to this hour 
skulking Arabs have their homes in the caves 
and on the cliffs in this vicinity. Doctor Fish, 
to whom I have already referred, tells us that 
while he was passing through this wild region, 
he was met by seven or eight Bedouins, all armed 
with matchlocks, and presenting a ferocious ap- 
pearance. One of them seized his horse by the 



FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 1 23 



bit, but they offered him no further harm than 
arousing him to the fact that danger was near if 
he fell behind his company while passing through 
these wild gorges. Here is a khan, pointed out as 
the inn in which the wounded man of our lord's 
parable found needed care. Soon the traveler 
reaches the probable "brook Cherith, that is 
before Jordan." Here, as we know, Elijah was 
concealed from the wrath of Ahab, and here the 
ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morn- 
ing and in the evening ; probably securing both, 
as has been suggested, from the neighboring idol 
altars. Here "he drank of this brook" until it 
dried up. 1 Here too is the valley Achor, where 
the Israelites stoned the guilty Achan. This 
valley extends from Gilgal toward Bethel. And 
through this gorge the Israelites entered Canaan. 
Almost every spot in this rugged defile is voice- 
ful with historic facts regarding the history of 
the Israelites in the earlier or the later day. 

We now reach the Jordan Plain. The air is 
burning hot, and the quivering haze makes all 
about us somewhat dreamy and indistinct. We 
are far below the level of the Mediterranean 
Sea. Neither the Jericho of Joshua's day nor 
that of Christ's day is now here; these two 
Jerichos were more than a mile apart, but both 
have now disappeared. Elisha's Fountain marks 
the site of the first Jericho. This fountain is an 
immense reservoir, being six hundred and fifty- 
seven feet by four hundred and ninety feet. A 



1 1 Kings 17 : 6. 



124 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



copious spring bursts from the base of the 
mound, around which are scattered bits of pot- 
tery and foundations of former buildings. The 
water is cool and sweet. In this neighborhood 
once stood a great city ; hither came the spies 
from the plains of Moab. Yonder is the moun- 
tain where on the advice of Rahab they hid 
themselves for three days. Around the city 
which then stood here marched the Israelites for 
seven days in obedience to the divine command. 
There stood the walls which fell down flat before 
the shout of the people of God. Here once was 
the school of the prophets to which Elijah and 
EKsha came from Bethel. Once more we see 
our Lord coming to the new Jericho, and lodg- 
ing with Zaccheus the publican ; once more we 
see him accompanied by the pilgrims to the Pass- 
over as he stops and heals the blind man. How 
these historic scenes again live and move in our 
thought ; how real all these events become as 
we associate them with the places in which they 
occurred. Truly the land illustrates the Book, 
and truly the Book conveys the exact facts in- 
separably associated with the land. 

From Cleopatra, the wily tyrant Herod the 
Great rented the revenues of this region, then 
beautiful with palm groves and balsam gardens. 
Indeed, one meaning of the word Jericho is 
" Place of fragrance," although some of the 
older commentators derive it from a word mean- 
ing the moon. Antony gave this region and its 
valuable products to Cleopatra, thus indicating 
the potent charm which this beautiful woman 



FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 1 25 



exercised over the brave but weak Roman. 
Herod the Great made Jericho a magnificent 
city, and here it was that this monster of 
iniquity died. 

To-day the modern name of Jericho is Riha. 
It is a wretched village of about two hundred 
miserable people. The village has been called 
"the meanest and foulest of Palestine." It con- 
sists of dilapidated mud huts, which are covered 
with thorn bushes, though lately the place has 
been somewhat improved. Its people are the 
mongrel race hated by all classes of Arabians ; 
they are given over, it is said, to vices of the 
most degrading character. The women of the 
village go to the camps of travelers and give a 
rude entertainment accompanied by music and 
dancing. They are hideous-looking creatures ; 
their leader waves a naked short sword, and they 
all join in a sort of Indian war-whoop. The 
purpose of the entertainment is to secure back- 
sheesh. These shameless women and worthless 
men and this group of mud huts are all that 
remain of the city which Joshua conquered, the 
city where Cleopatra reveled, the city where 
Herod riotously reigned, and the city where our 
Lord performed his deeds of mercy. His mira- 
cles of love are the only memory which makes 
this vicinity still the "place of fragrance." 

Somewhere in this neighborhood was the an- 
cient Gilgal ; this, it will be remembered, was 
the site of the first camp of the Israelites after 
they crossed the Jordan. Here they passed their 
first night on the west side of the river ; here the 



126 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



twelve stones were set up, which had been taken 
from the bed of the stream ; and here they kept 
their first Passover in the land of Canaan. The 
name means "the rolling," because of the ob- 
servance of the rite of circumcision which had 
been neglected so far as concerned the Israelites 
who had been born during the wilderness jour- 
ney. It is supposed that the name has reference 
to this passage : " This day have I rolled away 
the reproach of Egypt from off you " ; 1 but it is 
difficult to see how this derivation will apply to 
the other Gilgals, and it is possible that the name 
is the adaptation of an earlier word of another 
language to a Hebrew form. A ride of an hour 
and a half takes the traveler from Jericho to the 
Jordan. The Latin bathing-place is seven miles 
from the Dead Sea ; that of the Greeks is two 
miles farther north. The Latin bathing-place is 
generally exhibited as the place of Christ's bap- 
tism, the place where the Israelites crossed the 
river, and also the place of other great events in 
the history of this ancient people. Thrilling 
emotions sweep the soul as one stands for the 
first time on the banks of the veritable Jordan, 
the sacred river of the Holy Land. What 
stupendous events have occurred, we may be- 
lieve, on this very spot ! From this point the 
swollen waters at the springtime rolled back to 
permit Israel to cross over dry-shod. Here Elijah 
smote the waters with his mantle, and they 
parted to permit him and Elisha to pass while 



1 Josh. 5 : 9. 



FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 127 



the former was on his way to glory and to God. 
Here the waters parted again when Elisha smote 
thein with the mantle of Elijah. Somewhere in 
this vicinity the borrowed axe, used and lost by 
a stalwart theological student, rose and floated 
on the stream when touched by the wood at the 
command of Elisha. Here the waters were con- 
secrated by the most glorious event the Jordan 
had ever witnessed — the baptism of the Son of 
God. On this august occasion all the Persons of 
the blessed Trinity were either audibly or visibly 
present. The Father was present by an audible 
voice, the Sou was present in human form, and 
the Spirit in the form of a dove. This is the 
one instance in the Bible when all the Persons 
of the Trinity are described as thus audibly or 
visibly present, although their presence is im- 
plied in several passages. The dove still abounds 
in this region, and the willows fringing the 
sacred stream are still its favorite haunts. No 
more beautiful place for the baptism of Jesus 
could be selected ; and here thousands of pil- 
grims still come during passion week to be bap- 
tized in the Jordan, confessing their sins. May 
we be ready in all things to obey the commands 
and to follow the example of our divine L,ord and 
Redeemer. 



XI 



THE DEAD SEA 



'HE Dead Sea is the largest lake in Pales- 



tine, and it is, historically and physically, 
one of the most remarkable sheets of water in 
the world. In going from Jerusalem to Jericho 
one may pass in a few hours from winter into 
summer, from a temperate to a tropical climate. 
In January, 1884, as Sir J. W. Dawson informs 
us, there were snowdrifts five feet deep at the 
Jaffa Gate, and at the same time the Jordan Val- 
ley was enjoying a mild temperature. This is 
one of the features of Palestine to which it owes 
the variety of its animals and plants. The 
diversity of climate, soils, and aspects in the hills 
and valleys produced a corresponding diversity 
in the habits of the people. In this way Pales- 
tine, though so small, represented the whole 
world, and was the better fitted to be the cradle 
of Christianity and the birthplace of the Bible. 

The Dead Sea has never been navigated to 
any extent ; but perhaps the Moabites crossed it 
in boats to invade Judah. We know that the 
Romans used boats against the fugitive Jews. 
Costigan, who went from the mouth of the Jordan 
to the peninsula of L,isan, was the first in modern 
times to navigate it, and he died of exhaustion. 




128 



THE DEAD SEA 



129 



In 1837 Moore and Beck sailed on part of it, and 
in 1847 Lieutenant Molyneux sacrificed his life 
in exploring it. The expedition of Lieutenant 
Lynch was the most successful, but several of 
his party died. The water is gradually decreas- 
ing. The few tribes who pitch their tents in 
the vicinity are sickly. They are thoroughly 
degraded and are charged with the vices of their 
Sodomite progenitors in " the cities of the plain." 

Its Name and General Characteristics. 
— It is called in Scripture the Salt Sea, the sea of 
the Plain, the East or Former Sea, and once 
simply the Sea. The Talmudic books call it 
the sea of Salt and the sea of Sodom. Josephus 
named it the Asphaltic Lake ; the Greeks and 
Romans used the same name, given it because of 
the asphaltum or bitumen found on or by it. It 
was called the Dead Sea because of the absence 
of living creatures in its waters. The Arabs call 
it Bahr Lut, the sea of Lot. 

It is in the lowest part of the crevasse which 
extends from the foot of Mount Hermon to the 
gulf of Akaba, for a distance of about two hun- 
dred and fifty miles. The sea is forty-seven 
miles long from north to south, and at the 
widest part ten miles in width. It is about the 
size of Lake Geneva. It can be very clearly 
seen from the Mount of Olives, being but six- 
teen miles distant. The Jordan enters it on the 
north, on the east several streams, among them 
the Arnon, the Zerka, and the Zerad ; and it re- 
ceives also several winter torrents. 



130 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Bare mountain ranges flank the Dead Sea, ris- 
ing in cliffs on the west fifteen hundred feet, and 
on the east two thousand feet. At the south- 
west is a range of hills of rock-salt, seven miles 
long and three hundred feet high ; this range, 
called Jebel Usdum, or Mount Sodom, runs from 
north to south. In some cases these mountain 
ranges jut out into the waters in bold headlands. 
Besides, bitumen and sulphur, there is on the 
beach a substance called musca, a carbonate of 
lime which is black and which takes a fine pol- 
ish. Souvenirs of the Dead Sea are made from 
it and are sold in Jerusalem. When rubbed it 
has an intolerable odor, and when placed on hot 
coals it blazes with a sulphurous smell. 

On the east about seven miles from the south- 
ern shore, a low promontory, called el-Lisan, the 
tongue, projects westward and northward into 
the sea. It is ten miles long and five wide. 
North of this tongue the sea is an elongated 
oval in shape. The surface of the Dead Sea is 
one thousand three hundred and ninety-two feet 
below the Mediterranean, and three thousand 
seven hundred and fifty feet below Jerusalem. 
The level varies ten to fifteen feet according to 
the season. A series of shore lines shows that 
it has sunk by degrees hundreds of feet ; and the 
bottom is still subsiding. Twenty years ago the 
channel between the tongue and the west shore 
was crossed by two fords ; now it is impassable. 

The waters are clear and limpid, but exceed- 
ingly salt and bitter. A gallon weighs twelve 
and a quarter pounds, two and a quarter pounds 



THE DEAD SEA 



more than distilled water. There is no hostility 
to life in the neighborhood but the want of water. 
If some company would draw off the waters of 
Jordan thirty miles above and turn them by irri- 
gation into the plain the whole valley would be 
a garden. Fruits, sugar cane, and cotton would 
abound. Once sugar cane grew here ; traces of 
sugar mills are still found. Great hotels may 
some day be built on the shores of the Dead Sea. 
Boats may float over its surface, gay bathers dis- 
port in its waters, pleasure parties go to the 
mountains, while other groups amuse themselves 
under the shade trees or on the verandas of 
their hotels. Health-seekers may yet crowd 
these shores. This is a sweet picture. Chris- 
tianity may yet adorn the historic places, cursed 
by abominable sin, making them blossom as the 
rose. 

History of the Dead Sea. — We learn 
from Gen. 13 : 12 that Lot chose for himself a 
home on the borders of the Dead Sea. It was 
here that the important battle of four kings 
against five took place ; we learn also that the 
vale of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea, was full 
of slime pits, and the kings of Sodom and Go- 
morrah fled and fell there, and Lot was taken 
prisoner. In this vicinity were those cities of 
the plain, cities so full of wickedness that the 
Lord rained upon them brimstone and fire out of 
heaven. Thus Sodom has been for thousands of 
years a symbol of the grossest wickedness. Here 
Lot's wife, looking backward, became a "pillar," 



132 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



rather, a mound, of salt. Travelers can still see 
at Jebel Usdum salt hills which may well be 
called pillars of salt to this day. 

Sir J. W. Dawson, to whom I am indebted for 
many facts and some of the language used in 
these two chapters on the Dead Sea, tells us that 
the Dead Sea, whether seen in calm or storm, is 
an impressive sheet of water. Its waters are 
clear and inodorous ; they are also free from pol- 
lution and garbage. The mineral springs of the 
vicinity, the mild winter climate, and the density 
of its air might well make it in the future what 
it was in the past, a favorite resort for invalids 
and pleasure seekers. The name Dead Sea is 
comparatively modern, and entirely unknown to 
the writers of the Bible. They associated with 
it no ideas of horror and desolation ; certainly 
not previous to the destruction of the wicked 
cities of the plain. They spoke of the region 
as resembling the garden of the Lord, and its 
western side was famous for its vineyards. 

Bathing in the Sea. — Most travelers try 
the curious effect of bathing in the Dead Sea. 
If one is suffering from any abrasion of the skin, 
which is not unlikely to be the case where is so 
much cause for irritation, a bath will cause much 
suffering. The specific gravity of the water is 
lightest at the mouth of the Jordan, as there so 
much fresh w r ater enters. It is therefore well 
not to bathe too near the entrance of that river. 
The water is buoyant enough to permit one to 
stand in it with head and shoulders above the 



THE DEAD SEA 



133 



surface. One floats at ease ; indeed, it is difficult 
for one to submerge his body. Doctor Robinson 
tells us that he " could never swim before either 
in fresh or salt water," but here he " could sit, 
stand, lie, or swim without difficulty. " Its 
buoyancy has not been exaggerated. The tem- 
perature is pleasing, and if one is careful not to 
get any of the water into the eyes, a bath pro- 
duces, when there are no abrasions of the skin, 
a pleasing, though somewhat oily sensation. If 
fresh water had its buoyancy no one would be 
drowned. Floating is no effort ; sinking is 
laborious. The chief annoyance is the tendency 
of the feet to go out of the water, and then the 
swimmer's head is in danger of going under. 
Lieutenant Lynch says : " With great difficulty I 
kept my feet down, and when I lay on my back 
and drawing up my knees, placed my hands on 
them, I rolled immediately over." The differ- 
ences on account of its buoyancy are due to the 
difference in its specific gravity. One can curve 
his body and so lie on the surface almost as one 
on a couch. Even then one feels almost as if he 
were a cork, and he is in constant danger of 
turning over. If one experiences any unpleas- 
ant sensations because of irritation of the skin, 
he can hasten to the Jordan and have a fresh 
water bath. Many amuse themselves by gather- 
ing sea-drift on the beach and taking away water 
in bottles. There is no living thing in the sea. 
Fish brought down by the Jordan die almost im- 
mediately upon being introduced into the sea ; 
even salt sea fish soon die. It has sometimes 



134 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



been asserted that some of the lower forms of 
life are found, but the statement is open to 
doubt. 

General Impressions. — Most exaggerated 
and superstitious views were once held regarding 
this mysterious sea. It was said that no bird 
could fly over its deadly waters ; that no person 
could breathe its poisonous exhalations, and that 
in its center there was an abyss into which the 
Jordan poured its full tide of waters. Among 
modern explorers, whose careful investigations 
have done much to explode these superstitions, 
is Lieutenant Lynch, of the United States Navy, 
who in 1848 passed down the Jordan from the 
Sea of Galilee in two metallic boats, and who 
made a careful survey of the Dead Sea. The 
density of the water is such that when these 
metallic boats of Lieutenant Lynch met with 
a gale on entering the sea from the Jordan, " it 
seemed as if the bows were encountering the 
sledge hammers of the Titans instead of the 
opposing waves of an angry sea." English and 
French investigators have confirmed his conclu- 
sions. One looks in vain for the awful gloom 
and deathliness which the medieval monks had 
described. One sees a lovely blue lake, changing 
into green in the shifting light ; at places one 
finds a sloping sandy beach, up. which the waves 
come with a pleasant murmur. The sea does 
not destroy vegetable or animal life in its vicin- 
ity. The song of birds is heard ; birds are seen 
flitting about the shore ; a rabbit runs into his 



THE DEAD SEA 



135 



hole close by the beach. But still, branches 
and trunks of trees, gnarled and bleached, the 
driftwood of the Jordan, impart a dreary aspect 
to the shore. As one remains longer by the 
shore he is solemnly impressed by its awful still- 
ness. He feels the strange effect, perhaps partly 
from the law of association, of the general ab- 
sence of life and the presence of death. Just 
as in Norway there is an awful stillness and 
solemnity in the shining of the noonday sun at 
midnight, so here there is a deadness, a weird- 
ness, and solemnity which one feels though he 
cannot explain their essential elements. The 
basin is a bowl which the full tide of the waters 
of the Jordan can never fill ; and the exhala- 
tions caused by the great heat give the whole 
neighborhood the strange and mysterious ap- 
pearance which all travelers have observed. It 
seems as if the smoke of the buried cities was for- 
ever ascending to heaven. 

Nauseous Character. — Its nauseous char- 
acter is caused by the extraordinary amount of 
mineral salts which it holds in solution. The 
analyses of chemists differ according to different 
seasons of the year and different distances from 
the mouth of the Jordan. It has been calculated 
that six million tons of water fall into the Dead 
Sea daily. The whole of this amount is carried 
off by evaporation. The lake has no visible out- 
let ; it is impossible to believe that so low a lake 
can have an outlet, visible or invisible. But it 
is not difficult to see how the hot, dry air can 



136 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



absorb this enormous degree of moisture. It is 
easy to see how the water which is left behiud is 
impregnated to an unusual extent with mineral 
substances. Salt also comes from the banks. 
The water contains twenty-four to twenty-six 
per cent, of solid substances, seven per cent, of 
which is chloride of sodium, or common salt. 
The chloride of magnesium is also largely held 
in solution, and it is this ingredient which gives 
the water much of its nauseous and bitter taste. 
The chloride of calcium makes it feel smooth 
and oily to the touch. There are also many 
other ingredients. The water boils at 221 Fahr. 
The salt of the Dead Sea has long been brought 
to the Jerusalem market. 

Scientific Results. — Lieutenant Lynch and 
the American Expedition secured very valuable 
scientific results. Soundings were taken all over 
the lake ; its geographical position was deter- 
mined ; its depths sounded ; its temperature, 
width, and velocity ascertained ; winds, currents, 
changes of weather, and atmospheric phenomena 
— these were all discovered and recorded. Lieu- 
tenant Lynch in his narrative uses these words : 

Everything said in the Bible about the Dead Sea and the 
Jordan, we believe to be fully verified by our observations. 
The inference from the Bible that this entire chasm was a 
plain sunk and overwhelmed by the wrath of God, seems 
to be sustained by the extraordinary character of our sound- 
ings. The bottom of the sea consists of two submerged 
plains, an elevated and a depressed one, the former averag- 
ing thirteen feet, the latter about one thousand three hun- 
dred feet below the surface. Through the northern and 



THE DEAD SEA 



1 37 



largest and deepest one, in a line corresponding with the 
bed of the Jordan, is a ravine. There can scarcely be a 
doubt that the whole ghor has sunk from some extraordi- 
nary convulsion, preceded probably by an eruption of fire, 
and a general conflagration of the bitumen which abounded 
in the plain. 

Men without much scientific knowledge can 
easily see how it comes to pass that there is so 
much salt in this sea. There is some salt in all 
rivers ; fresh water rivers and lakes are not really 
fresh. But an unusual quantity of salt is in the 
rivers which flow into the Dead Sea. Nitrous 
soil and sulphurous springs supply the saline 
matter to these rivers. It is also possible that 
there are hot springs in the sea itself. 

Beautiful as is the sea in itself, as beautiful as 
any lake in England, Scotland, Ireland, Switzer- 
land, or Italy, there is still a fearful suggestive- 
ness in its position, history, and characteristics. 
Dr. George Adam Smith, speaking of its vicinity, 
says : 

You could not imagine a more proper crown for death. 
. . . In this awful hollow, this bit of the infernal regions 
come up to the surface, this hell with the sun shining into 
it, primitive man laid the scene of God's most terrible judg- 
ment on human sin. The glare of Sodom and Gomorrah 
is flung down the whole length of Scripture history. It is 
the popular and standard judgment of sin. The story is 
told in Genesis ; it is applied in Deuteronomy, by Amos, 
by Isaiah, by Jeremiah, by Zephaniah, in Lamentations, 
and by Ezekiel. Our Lord himself employs it more than 
once as the figure of the judgment he threatens upon cities 
where the word is preached in vain, and there we feel the 
flame scorch our own cheeks. Paul, Peter, Jude, all make 
mention of it In the Apocalypse, the great city of sin, 
which spiritually is called Sodom (Rev. 1 1 : 8). 



138 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



These are very strong words, and they are wise 
and true as strong. Every reader of Scripture 
recognizes this truth, and every visitor to the 
Dead Sea feels that it in some weird but real 
way emphasizes all these solemn Scripture teach- 
ings. 

There are, probably, stored up in the earth 
to-day all forces necessary for its destruction. 
Men sneer at the prophecies contained in the 
word of God concerning the destruction of the 
world, but their sneer is not indicative of breadth 
of knowledge, but rather of narrowness of vision. 
We are distinctly informed that, "the heavens 
shall pass away with a great noise, and the ele- 
ments shall melt with fervent heat, the earth 
also and the works that are therein shall be 
burned up." All the discoveries of modern 
science are making it easier to believe in the 
promises and prophecies of the Bible. Christian 
interpretation has made hopeful progress when 
it recognizes the unity of God's universe. 
Science has greatly helped religion in teaching 
us the universality and the uniformity of law. 
Once it was thought that this was a doctrine 
that would be injurious to revealed religion, but 
that fear has forever passed away. Let no man 
undertake to limit the power of the Amighty. 
The most advanced science knows yet but little 
of the possibilities of God as they are concealed 
in the heavens above and the earth beneath. 
Science more and more is laying its tribute of 
honor on the Bible. One day it will give its 
proudest crown to Jesus Christ as King in 



THE DEAD SEA 



139 



truth's vast realm. Recognizing these great 
truths we are able more fully to appreciate these 
words of Holy Scripture : " Seeing then that all 
these things shall be dissolved, what manner of 
persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation 
and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the 
coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens 
being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements 
shall melt with fervent heat." 



XII 



THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN 

SOME hold that the cities of the plain, 
Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, 
and Bela or Zoar, were not at the southern end 
but at the northern end of the Dead Sea. One 
reason for this opinion is that it is stated that 
Abraham and hot could see the plain from the 
high ground between Bethel and Ai, from which 
point only the northern end of the Dead Sea is 
visible. Other reasons are given, such as that 
these were the cities of the Kikkar, or circle of 
Jordan, and that this name of circle is not ap- 
plicable to the south end of the sea. Another 
argument is that the expedition of the four kings 
as it swept north from Kadesh-Barnea attacked 
Hazezon Tamar, which was probably Engedi, 
before it reached the vale of Siddim, where the 
king of Sodom and his allies were met. There 
are still other arguments. But after fairly 
weighing them, I still hold to the traditional 
opinion, for reasons which I give in a few sen- 
tences. Lot's view, it is implied, took in only a 
section of the valley, or the name Kikkar may 
have been extended to the southern end. The 
argument assumes that there has been no essen- 
tial change in the locality since that day, but a 
140 



THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN 14 1 



marked change because of the eruption is cer- 
tainly suggested by the narrative. The site of 
Zoar is a strong argument. It must have been 
near the southern end of the sea and on its 
eastern shore. It could not have been among 
the mountains, for Lot feared he could not get 
so far, and so begged to stop here. The names 
suggestive of identity with the original sites 
still adhere to the places at the southern end of 
the sea. This argument has never been satis- 
factorily met ; no one has really refuted it. 
The testimony of unbroken tradition, ancient 
and modern, Strabo, Josephus, Tacitus, Galen, 
Jerome, Eusebius, is in favor of the traditional 
view. Jebel Usdum must be recognized as the 
representative of Sodom. All the natural con- 
ditions of the southern end seem to me far more 
in harmony with the records of Scripture than 
those at the northern end. This I instinctively 
feel. Moses, four and a half centuries later, 
warns the Israelites against apostasy, telling 
them (Deut. 29 : 23) that God would overthrow 
them as he had those cities of the plain. He 
gives a picture of the site of Sodom and Go- 
morrah as it appeared in his day ; so do Isaiah, 
Jeremiah, and others, of its appearance in their 
day. It was then as now a blasted region, an 
utter desolation. 

Destruction of the Cities. — We are de- 
pendent on the Scripture narrative for our 
knowledge of the facts, so far as any contempo- 
rary account of this great event is concerned. 



142 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



We are told in Gen. 14 : 10 that there were 
" slimepits " in the vicinity of the cities, which 
were destroyed. What are these slimepits ? 
Let us use a modern equivalent for that term. 
What is it ? This : petroleum wells. The 
neighborhood of the Dead Sea was a region of 
bitumen ; it was a region liable to eruptions of 
the most destructive character. Sir J. W. Daw- 
son, to whom I have already referred with ap- 
preciation of his contribution to the literature of 
this subject and with acknowledgment of my in- 
debtedness to his brief but excellent statements, 
discussing this point in his book entitled 
" Egypt and Syria," calls attention to the fact 
that we have had somewhat similar eruptions in 
the United States and in Canada. A few years 
ago, as he reminds us, in the oil district of Pe- 
trolia, Canada, a bore-hole struck a reservoir of 
gas, which rushed out w T ith explosive force, 
carrying before it a large quantity of petroleum. 
As was to be expected, the gas took fire, forming 
a tall column of flame, and soon the burning 
petroleum spread over the ground and ignited 
tank after tank of the substance in the neigh- 
borhood. Soon a space of about fifteen acres 
was enveloped in flame, an entire village was 
burned, and a number of persons lost their lives. 
The air poured toward the eruption, causing a 
whirlwind, which carried the dense smoke high 
into the air, and threw down burning bitumen 
all around. 

Here we have substantially the conditions of 
the destruction of the cities of the plain. If 



THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN 143 



we suppose — a very natural supposition — that, 
at the time described in the Bible, accumulations 
of inflammable gas and petroleum existed below 
the plain of Siddim, the escape of these through 
the opening of a fissure might produce all the 
effects described. What were these effects? 
Take the Bible narrative in its essence for the 
answer. As Doctor Dawson suggests, we have 
a pillar of smoke rising to heaven, burning bi- 
tumen and sulphur raining on the doomed cities, 
and fire spreading over the vicinity. We have, 
in a word, what they had in Petrolia, Canada, 
on the occasion of the eruption which took 
place there. There was also an explosion near 
the Dead Sea, an evolution of saline waters, as 
is implied in the destruction of Lot's wife, and 
this evolution is the natural accompaniment of 
the phenomena described, as water is always 
present in such eruptions. In this case, because 
of the condensation named, the water would be 
a brine thick with mud, and so exactly fitted to 
encrust and cover any object on which it might 
come. Thus Lot's wife in the most natural 
way conceivable became a mound of salt. 

Doctor Dawson says that no geologist on com- 
paring the narrative in Gen. 19 with the struc- 
ture of the district can hesitate as to the nature 
of the phenomena which were presented to the 
observation of the narrator. Glance again at the 
narrative in Genesis. The destruction was sud- 
den and unexpected. It was caused by " brim- 
stone and fire," and that is just the Bible's way 
of saying by burning brimstone. These were 



144 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



rained down from the sky, and a dense column 
of smoke ascended to a great height, like the 
smoke of a furnace or a limekiln, and along 
with this there was an emission of brine, or 
saline mud, capable of encrusting any sub- 
stances. 

The volcanoes of 1834 and 1837 brought up 
from the bottom of the Dead Sea great masses 
of bitumen, thus confirming the record of Gen. 
14 : 10, that here were slimepits, or bitumen 
pits. God seems to have used these naturally 
inflammable materials with which to burn up 
the cities of the plain. This whole neighbor- 
hood seems to have been the "petroleum oil 
region " of Palestine. It has also been sug- 
gested that the inhabitants may have used bi- 
tumen in the construction of their houses ; they 
would thus be the more inflammable. Herodotus 
speaks of the use of bitumen in mortar, and 
recent explorations in Nineveh show that it was 
there extensively used for building purposes, the 
bricks being cemented with bitumen. It is 
very easy to see how God could, by the use of 
materials at hand, have exploded the whole 
region about the Dead Sea, the bitumen and gas 
taking fire from the burning volcanoes, the fly- 
ing flames and cinders filling the heavens, to be 
rained back in " fire and brimstone, and a horrible 
tempest," as is stated in Ps. 11:6. 

The only point of doubt in the description in 
Genesis is as to what is meant by " brimstone. " 
Following the explanations given by Doctor 
Dawson, we say that it might mean sulphur, 



THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN 145 



large quantities of which there are in some of 
the Dead Sea deposits. Probably it means here 
pitch ; it is derived from the same root as gopher, 
the Hebrew name of the cypress and other 
resinous woods. The word used here by the 
Hebrew writer is gaphrith. Zapheth is the 
natural word for petroleum or rock oil in its 
liquid state ; chemar denotes asphalt or mineral 
pitch, and copher is asphaltic or resinous varnish 
used for covering and protecting wood and other 
materials. Noah used copher for the ark ; the 
builders of Babel used chemar or asphalt as a 
cement, and the careful mother of Moses used 
both chemar and zepheth to make her baby boy's 
cradle water-tight. The writer here uses the 
more undecided term gaphrith. Why did he 
employ this term ? Probably he did not wish 
to commit himself to any particular kind of 
inflammable material, but preferred to use a 
broad term, which his readers would understand 
to mean any or all of these materials, and possi- 
bly, also, sulphur. The writer of Genesis was 
a wise man. Some day the " cocksure " critics 
will speak with vastly more appreciation of his 
wisdom and of their own ignorance than they 
do to-day. 

Recapitulation. — From the beds of bitu- 
minous limestone in the vicinity of the Dead 
Sea, and which, no doubt, underlie its bed, 
bituminous and gaseous substances must have 
been constantly exuding ; when these regions 
were shaken by an earthquake special facility 



146 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



was given for the escape of these inflammable 
products. We have only to suppose, with Doctor 
Dawson, that at the time in question reservoirs 
of condensed gas and petroleum existed under 
the plain of Siddim, and that these were sud- 
denly discharged, either by their own accumu- 
lated pressure or by an earthquake shock frac- 
turing the overlying beds, then all the phenomena 
described in the book of Genesis would naturally, 
I may say inevitably, occur. After the eruption 
the site would be covered with saline and sul- 
phurous deposit. The reservoirs which pre- 
viously existed under the ground would be 
exhausted, permanently dried up ; then there 
would be a subsidence of the ground where the 
reservoirs had been, and this subsidence would 
account for the idea of the submerged cities. 
From a purely scientific point of view the 
Scripture narrative is a unique, superb, and sub- 
lime description of a natural phenomenon as 
rare as it is wonderful and sublime. Scientific 
explorations have shown that the inspired narra- 
tive is in perfect harmony with the scientific 
possibilities of this remarkable region. The 
carping critics who have opposed this narrative 
show their lack of scientific knowledge quite as 
much as their want of religious faith. God is 
making modern science his handmaid, to lead 
scholarly as well as unscholarly but devout 
students to bow in reverence at the feet of Jesus 
Christ as the world's greatest teacher. The 
Bible is proving itself to be an " up-to-date " 
book for the close of the nineteenth century. It 



THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN 147 



is the book for all times and for all lands. It is 
scientifically up to the date of the most recent 
discoveries. 

The narrative in Genesis suggests that Lot's 
wife remained behind, looking back in guilty 
longing to go back, until she was overtaken by 
the fire and saline ejections, and that when the 
survivors sought her they found only " a heap of 
saline incrustation marking the place where she 
perished." The word in the original is not a 
" pillar," but rather a mound. The idea of the 
pillar was probably suggested to the translators 
by the fables which connect her with the pillar- 
like masses of salt 011 the salt cliff of Jebel 
Usdum, but these fables have no warrant in the 
Bible. 

The physical phenomena named as used by 
God in the destruction of the cities of the plain 
in no way detract from the providential charac- 
ter of that event. God knows how to use all the 
tremendous agencies of nature in the infliction 
of his righteous judgments. We do not elimi- 
nate God because we put him farther back in 
the line of causes. There is a truly Christian 
evolution. Properly understood, God's power 
and wisdom may be more fully illustrated when 
he is thus placed. He is not less the Creator 
because the creation is not immediate. Perhaps 
Christian teachers have been unfortunately timid 
in admitting these truths. The word of God 
nowhere hesitates to honor all the laws of nature. 
The laws of nature are the laws of God. Science 
and revelation cannot conflict ; science is revela- 



I4& SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



tion, within its range and for its own special 
truths. Nature and revelation are different 
chapters in the one volume. God as truly mani- 
fested the providential character of the destruc- 
tion of the cities of the plain as if the fire had 
come directly from the clouds of heaven. All 
the elements and forces stored up in nature are 
revelations of the will and purpose of God. Let 
us lay hold of this truth ; let us rejoice in seeing 
God in the affairs of to-day as truly as in any 
period in history. He is as much with his peo- 
ple now as he was in the days of Abraham and 
Isaac, in the days of David and Solomon, in the 
days of Isaiah and Daniel, in the days of Peter 
and Paul. We have lost much power by forget- 
ting this truth. Let us emphasize the presence 
and power of God in all the natural phenomena 
described in the Bible and in all the providential 
events of to-day. 

He would be a rash man who should affirm 
that God is not now holding back judgments 
from our cities because of the prayers of his 
people. It is a most suggestive thing that Abra- 
ham prayed for Sodom and that God listened to 
his prayers. One's heart is moved as he sees the 
servant of God holding converse with him and 
appealing to God's glory as a motive for God's 
manifestation of power. We see Abraham com- 
ing down from the fifty for whose sake, should 
they be found in Sodom, God had promised to 
save the city, to ten. God promised not to 
destroy the city for the tens' sake. Perhaps if 
Abraham had dared reduce the number to five 



THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN 1 49 

God might have promised to save the city for 
their sake. Why did not Abraham so pray? 
Who can answer these questions ? Perhaps the 
richest blessings which come to our modern life 
come in answer to the prayers of God's people. 
We never know through what channels many of 
our choicest blessings are brought. God has ten 
thousand ministries through which he can give 
his benediction to his people. 

It is beautiful to see how God perfected the 
way of escape from these doomed cities. All 
the directions given were very exact. All the 
promises which God made were literally fulfilled. 
The heathen give us the proverb, " The feet of 
the avenging deities are shod with wool." But 
God gives warning upon warning, line upon line, 
precept upon precept. He showed how the 
godly in Sodom might escape. Those who 
obeyed his command received his protection ; 
only those who were guilty of disobedience suf- 
fered the punishment threatened. God has pro- 
vided a way of escape for us to-day. He has 
sent his only begotten Son. Christ died that 
we might live. He has sent his preachers warn- 
ing us to flee to the mountain. May we listen 
to the words of the great teacher and preacher 
when he said, " Remember Lot's wife." And 
may we not stop until we have gone to his cross 
and have found safety there for time and for 
eternity. 



XIII 



JERUSALEM TO BETHEL 

WE turn now northward in our journeyings 
in Palestine. We mount our horses and 
start from this historic city before daylight. The 
air was fresh on the first day of October. Indeed, 
the motion of the horses was very necessary to 
keep us warm. Strangely contradictory emotions 
are in our minds as we ride from the city in the 
gray dawn of the morning. Never shall I forget 
the occasion. 

Roads become thoroughfares because they are 
the natural courses of travel ; and as a result, they 
are not subject to many changes. We may, there- 
fore, be sure that the road which we are taking 
to the north is the old road to and from Jerusa- 
lem. Along this road Abraham journeyed from 
Bethel to Hebron ; over this track passed Jacob 
in his lonely exile going from Beer-sheba to 
Bethel ; Joshua in his hasty march from Jericho 
to meet the kings in battle at Gibeon passed 
over part of this track ; and the Philistines went 
over this road when they came up from the Mar- 
itime Plain and pitched in Michmash. 

The years pass. Great changes have taken 
place. Pompey comes up from the valley of 
the Jordan and travels this rough path. Again 
150 



JERUSALEM TO BETHEL 



great changes have come ; the years have passed. 
Kingdoms have risen and fallen. The crusaders 
have come to rescue the Holy City from the in- 
fidel. They are marching from Tyre to Jerusa- 
lem, and they pass over this very road. Won- 
derful memories crowded my mind as with the 
dawning day I left Jerusalem and began my ride 
of at least seven days over this historic road. 
Already groups of country people were hasten- 
ing, with loads of vegetables and wood and many 
other things piled on the backs of camels and 
donkeys, to the early morning market in Jerusa- 
lem. Some caravans had been traveling for more 
than a week with wheat from the Hauran ; others, 
and many of them barefooted women, had trav- 
eled a day and a night to reach the market. 
With the opening day they would be seated out- 
side the Jaffa Gate, or within the walls of Jeru- 
salem, offering their various products to the chaf- 
fering purchasers. 

Leaving the city we passed by the Russian 
quarter, then by the tombs of the kings, and 
soon we climbed the hill Scopus. The day was 
breaking. The eastern sky was colored with 
crimson and gold. The gleaming light was fall- 
ing on hills and valleys, and on the towers and 
pinnacles of hoary, holy, and desecrated Jeru- 
salem, city of song and story, city of ancient 
splendor and of present squalor. Soon after I 
had my last view of the Holy City. The im- 
pression made on my mind will never be effaced. 
From this neighborhood the traveler's last view 
of Jerusalem is generally taken, and nearly every 



152 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

traveler experiences emotions deeper than he can 
well describe. Here crusaders, pilgrims of all 
ages, devotees of many faiths, Bible students 
from many lands, and vacation tourists of many 
kinds, have felt the spell of a marvelous past 
and the strange charm of a sad present. It has 
been well suggested that if possible every trav- 
eler should get his first view of Jerusalem from 
the Mount of Olives, and his last view from this 
hill of Scopus. 

The road we are traveling is very rough. The 
horses have to pick their steps with great care. 
Frequently we have to turn out to let the cara- 
vans pass. Once this was a region of thrift and 
prosperity ; now the contrast is very marked. 
Isaiah's words are sadly true : " The highways lie 
waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth. . . The earth 
mourneth and languisheth " (33 : 8, 9). Pass- 
ing over the plain and then taking a northerly 
direction, we see on our left the village of Shafat. 
It is on the site of the ancient Nob. Here may 
be seen the ruins of a church or tower and of 
cisterns hewn in the rock. Nob was a priestly 
city in the tribe of Benjamin. Here in the time 
of Saul the tabernacle and ark were stationed, 
and to this place David fled. It will be remem- 
bered that Ahimelech the high priest received 
David as a refugee from the court of the jealous 
Saul. He gave shewbread from the golden 
table and the sword of Goliath. Doeg, the 
Bdomite, informed Saul of what had occurred, 
and Saul ordered that Nob should be smitten 
with the edge of the sword. The king's exe- 



JERUSALEM TO BETHEE 



153 



cutioners refused to perforin the bloody deed. 
Doegf therefore obeyed the king and slew the 
priests and people. It was a horrible day. 
Here the men of Israel vowed not to return to 
their homes until they had punished the men of 
Gibeah for their abominable crime (Judg. 21 : 
20, 21). At Saul's call the people rallied here to 
fig'ht the Philistines. If this is the Mizpeh of 
Benjamin, it was here that Saul was chosen king, 
when for the first time in the history of Israel, 
was heard the shout, " God save the king." 

Gibeah of Saul. — A mile or so from Nob 
rises the hill of Tel el-Ful, meaning " the little 
hill of beans." Here are the ruins of a large 
building, perhaps a fort erected by the cru- 
saders, the view from which is very extensive. 
Perhaps this Gibeah is identical with that of 
Benjamin. If so, then it was here that David 
permitted the murder of the seven sons of Saul. 
This was the native place of Saul, the first king 
of Israel. It was also the seat of government 
during the greater part of his reign. It was near 
here that the horrid story of the Levite's fate, as 
recorded in Judg. 19-21 was enacted. But the 
most touching incident was the murder of the 
descendants of Saul of which I have spoken. 1 
This story gives us one of the most remarkable 
illustrations of motherly love ever recorded in 
any history. Two of the sons of Rizpah were 
among the victims slain ; they " were put to 



1 2 Sam. 21 : 10. 



154 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in 
the beginning of barley harvest. And Rizpah 
the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread 
it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of 
harvest until water dropped upon them out of 
heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air 
to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field 
by night." We thus see that for six of the hot- 
test months of the year the sorrowing woman 
watched the bodies of her sons, showing that 
"love is stronger than death." Wonderful pic- 
ture this of maternal love, this lone watcher by 
day and night upon the rock under the scorching 
sun of a Syrian summer ! 

BEEROTH. — Passing near Geba, . which was 
taken by Jonathan from the Philistines, An- 
athoth, the birthplace of Jeremiah, and now a 
poor village of some twenty houses, and Ramah, 
to which figurative reference is made in Matt. 2 : 
17, 18, where it was said, "In Rama was there 
a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping," we 
come at a distance of nine to ten miles from 
Jerusalem to the modern El-Bireh, the ancient 
Beeroth. It owes its name to its abundant sup- 
ply of water. The village contains about eight 
hundred inhabitants and is located in a poor 
district. Near the excellent spring we find a 
Moslem place of prayer, and also the remains of 
ancient reservoirs. There are, also, the ruins of a 
tower, and on the highest ground in the village 
the ruins of a Christian church. Since the four- 
teenth century there has been a tradition that it 



JERUSALEM TO BETHEL 1 55 



was here that Mary and Joseph first discovered 
the absence of the child Jesus from the caravan 
when returning from the temple at the close of 
the first day's journey. Travelers going north 
usually stop here for a night, if they leave Jeru- 
salem in the afternoon. No great historic value 
can be attached to the tradition, but in all prob- 
ability this has been the stopping-place of trav- 
elers, for the night, since time immemorial, 
and it may well be that the parents of our Lord 
halted here. Beeroth, the ancient name, means 
wells. This was one of the four Hivite or Gibe- 
onite cities that made the league with Joshua. 

Leaving Beeroth, we journey about half an 
hour and come to a region of deepest interest. 
Near us is Ai, where Israel was at first repulsed 
and then became victorious. Memories of Achan, 
who took the Babylonish garment, the silver, and 
the gold, and who suffered so fearfully for his 
sin, fill the mind. The victories of Joshua live 
again before us. He made this place a heap of 
ruins ; he hanged its king on a tree. And now 
we are at Bethel. This is a dear household 
name. How the past comes upon one at such a 
place. Dreams of heaven suggest themselves. 
The stairway of the excellent glory, venerable 
patriarchs, stone altars, earth and heaven, visits 
of angels — these and other memories make this 
a hallowed spot. Here was laid the foundation 
stone of lowly chapels and lofty cathedrals all 
over the world. 

Who would not sleep on such a bed, 
With a stony pillow for his head ? 



I56 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



This ride carried us over rough roads and 
through a truly historic region, Many of the 
memories of the places passed were sad in the 
extreme. God's people were often guilty of 
great cruelty, according to the standards of our 
day. We must not, however, judge them by 
those standards. Too many critics forget that 
Christ had not then come and that the Sermon 
on the Mount had not then been preached. 
They carry the standards of the New Testament 
to the conduct of God's children as recorded in 
the Old Testament. This is not fair historical 
criticism. We do not judge the men of even a 
few hundred years ago by the standards accord- 
ing to which we estimate men at the closing 
years of the nineteenth century. It is mani- 
festly unjust to use the teachings of one part of 
the Bible to condemn the children of God who 
did not have those teachings, and whose acts are 
recorded in another part of the Bible. The light 
of Christianity is like the natural light of the 
day — it has its dawn, its progress, and finally its 
meridian splendor. Many immature Christians 
are startled by the conduct of God's followers 
and the world's best men of the early day, but 
they ought not to allow these imperfect charac- 
ters to disturb their faith in God nor their judg- 
ment of his divine revelation. We might as 
well reject all the conclusions of modern science 
because of the imperfect science and scientists 
of the Middle Ages, as to reject the Bible because 
God's representatives in the early day fell far 
short of the standard placed before us by Christ. 



JERUSALEM TO BETHEt 157 



There is a growth, a development, an evolution 
in all these matters. We must judge men by 
the best standards of their time ; and their per- 
fection or imperfection must be determined ac- 
cording to their realization of or departure from 
those standards. 

These desolate hills over which we have been 
passing are remarkable illustrations of the ful- 
fillment of prophecy. Bethel is voiceful for 
God. These ruins, on the tops of the hills over 
which we have passed, are mighty preachers, 
telling us of the fulfillment of prophecy. The 
Holy Land is an unimpeachable witness to the 
Holy Book. All these neighborhoods also illus- 
trate the providence of God in watching over his 
people in all ages and among all nations. He 
was the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. 
Every hill and valley illustrates his providential 
care over his people. 

The Bible is an honest book. It does not 
hesitate to declare the vices as well as the vir- 
tues of God's people. Had it been written by 
uninspired men it would have minimized or 
denied the vices of its heroes, and it would have 
created or magnified their virtues. It does 
neither. It does not exaggerate nor does it 
extenuate ; it sets down naught in malice ; it 
dares to tell the truth. In this respect it is a 
unique book in literature. It shows us that 
when God's children are loyal and obedient they 
are prosperous, but when they oppose or forget, 
God misfortunes come to them thick and fast. 
This lesson is taught us by all the towns we 



I5& SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

have passed and by all the historic characters 
connected with these towns. At Ai Israel was 
repulsed because of sin ; at Ai Israel finally was 
victorious because of repentance, reparation, and 
chastisement. At Bethel there is a mingling of 
lessons growing out of the contradictory elements 
in Jacob's character. The Bible is not responsi- 
ble for his sin. It nowhere justifies his act nor 
that of his mother in cheating the brother and 
the aged husband and father. Jacob sinned and 
Jacob suffered. We ought not to undertake to 
palliate wrong when it is committed by those 
who call themselves God's people. The great 
act, which we call conversion, had not yet taken 
place in the experience of Jacob. Not until 
years afterward, when on the banks of the brook 
Jabbok he wrestled with the unknown Stranger, 
did he pass over from Jacob to Israel, from being 
the "supplanter" to becoming the " prevailer 
with God." As we remount our horses and re- 
sume our journey, all these lessons impress them- 
selves deeply on the mind. Let us rejoice in 
the God of Jacob and the God of Bethel, and let 
us pray that every church and every home may 
be a true Bethel — " house of God." 



XIV 



BETHEL TO SHILOH 

LEAVING Jerusalem about five o'clock in 
the morning, we reached Bethel about 
eight the same morning. The distance is about 
nine to ten miles, and the rate of progress over 
these rough roads is only about three miles an 
hour. 

The modern name of the place is Betin, but 
although some have supposed that the ancient 
Bethel lay a little farther north, it is almost cer- 
tain that Betin is identical with it. To-day it 
is a poor village on a hill, with wretched huts 
and about five hundred inhabitants. It is on a 
hill with higher hills around it, and on every 
side are stretches of rocks, some of which may 
have served Jacob for a pillow, pillar, and altar. 
In the highest part of the village there are the 
remains of a tower, and near-by are the walls of 
a church. There is also an old stone cistern, 
made of solid masonry ; it is fed by two living 
fountains, and herds of cattle may often be seen 
there drinking, and Arab maidens filling their 
pitchers. This tank, three hundred feet long by 
two hundred feet wide, is in a grass-grown field. 
Wells in the Bast are always associated with 
historic facts and many legends. It is almost 

159 



l6o SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



certain that it was to this well the maidens of 
Sarah came to get water, and that it was here 
the cattle of Abraham often drank. Standing 
beside this well it is easy to picture the scenes 
of Bethel's ancient glory. A little to the north 
of the village there is a remarkable circle of 
stones, which it is well-nigh certain must have 
had a religious significance. Some of the stones 
stand up like columns or tombstones or some 
sort of monuments. They remind one of the 
Druidical circles of stones in England and 
Scotland. One cannot resist the spell of time, 
locality, and association here. 

Let us dismount from our horses. As has al- 
ready been said, while the distance from Jeru- 
salem is comparatively short, yet we need a little 
change after three hours of rough riding. Let 
us now take our Bibles and give ourselves up 
to the charm of the place while we refresh our 
minds with the biblical incidents. Up the val- 
ley yonder came Abraham and Lot from the Jor- 
dan, when on their way from the far Bast they 
first pitched their tents in Palestine. Perhaps 
their tents were just where we stand. On this 
hill near us it may be they parted, Lot choosing 
the rich plain of the Jordan, which plain we 
now clearly see as we stand on this knoll. Lot 
showed his selfishness and Abraham his great 
magnanimity in this transaction. Here at 
Bethel Abraham reared an altar and called upon 
the name of the Lord, who had promised this 
land to him and his seed forever. From Bethel 
Abraham went into Egypt, fell into temptation, 



BETHEL TO SHIIX>H 



161 



and dishonored God before the heathen king, 
who sent him away out of the land. One hun- 
dred and fifty years pass. Jacob is now here on 
his way from the south to rest at night while 
fleeing from his justly angered brother. He has 
traveled forty miles. He has the worst of all 
traveling companions, a guilty conscience. He 
is alone. He is exposed to danger. Near is 
the town of L,uz. Its lights may be seen ; its 
voices heard. But he does not enter. He 
might be discovered. He is on the backbone of 
Palestine. All about him lie great stones. 
They are like steps in a stair. That thought 
deeply impressed me as I looked about with this 
narrative in my mind. We read that he "took 
of the stones of that place, and put them for 
his pillows, and lay down on that place to 
sleep." These stones arranged like steps- of a 
stair were the last sight before his eyes as he 
went to sleep. Then came his dreams, and the 
stones became a mystic ladder, reaching from 
earth to heaven, and over its steps went the 
angels, ascending and descending. He awoke ; 
he made the solemn vow which consecrated him 
to the service of God. As he awakes he ex- 
claims : " This is none other than the house of 
God, and this is the gate of heaven." 1 The 
stone which had been his pillow he set up for 
a pillar and poured oil upon it. He also built 
an altar and the name of the place was changed 
from L,uz to Bethel, " House of God." That stone 



1 Gen. 28 : 11-22. 
L 



1 62 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



was the prophecy of all our churches in every 
land. Tradition says that it was taken to Jeru- 
salem, thence to Spain, thence to Ireland, thence 
to Scotland, and thence to England, and that it 
is now built into the coronation chair which 
stands in Westminster Abbey. 

Possibly Jacob erected some rude building 
over the altar ; if so, this was the first local 
religious building ever erected on the earth, the 
first architectural witness to the worship of the 
living God. Thirty years later Jacob again 
visited Bethel ; there he pitched his tent and 
reconsecrated the spot in fulfillment of his vow, 
and there he received renewed covenant promises 
from God. Here under an oak tree he buried 
Deborah, Rachel's nurse. Bethel was captured 
by Joshua and given to Benjamin. Here the 
Ark of the Covenant and probably the taber- 
nacle long remained. Here at times Saul held 
his court. After the days of Solomon, Bethel 
became the seat of gross idolatry. Jeroboam 
chose it, because of the early sacredness attached 
to it, as the place for one of his golden calves, 
in order that he might wean the hearts of the 
people from the worship of God in Jerusalem. 
There was now a more stately sanctuary, a 
splendid temple to rival that at Jerusalem. 
Bethel thus became the center of idolatrous 
offerings ; it was well situated also to intercept 
those who would go up to Jerusalem to worship. 
The prophets of Judah were sent to cry out 
against this idolatrous worship, for the name of 
this once hallowed center of divine worship was 



BETHEL TO SHILOH 



163 



changed from Bethel, "House of God," to Beth- 
aven, " House of Naught," and so of " Idols." 

Punishment of the people's idolatry did not 
long linger. Amos had prophesied that Bethel 
should come to naught. God will not be 
mocked. A great feast day had come. Before 
the altar near the golden calf stood Jeroboam in 
the magnificent temple which he had built. A 
prophet of God appears and declares that one 
Josiah, of Judah, shall be born, who shall burn 
the idolatrous priests on that very spot. He 
further declared that as a sign the altar should 
now be rent and the ashes poured out. Jeroboam 
was filled with wrath. He put forth his hand 
toward the man of God, crying out : " Lay hold 
on him ! " and instantaneously his arm was 
withered and he could not draw it to him again. 
The altar was rent from top to bottom and the 
ashes were poured out ; and in due time Josiah 
did lay waste that spot, even as the prophet of 
God had declared, and Bethel has been practi- 
cally a waste from that day to this day. This 
dramatic story is found in full in 1 Kings 12, 
13 and 2 Kings 23 : 15-20. 

It was near Bethel that " there came forth 
two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty 
and two children," who had said to Elisha, "Go 
up, thou bald head." After the Babylonish cap- 
tivity Bethel was inhabited by the Benjamites. 
In later times the Romans, under Vespasian, cap- 
tured it, and in due time it dwindled down to its 
present poverty and wretched insignificance. 

As we have already seen, Ai is but a short dis- 



164 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



tance from Bethel ; Ai, celebrated as the place of 
Joshua's defeat and later of his victory. Leaving 
Bethel we travel at first over a rough road, but 
after riding an hour we come to one of the most 
fertile regions of Palestine, a region abounding 
with vineyards and orchards, a region still bear- 
ing signs of the blessing of Ephraim. Northeast 
of Bethel -and Ai is Ephraim. With this place 
we may identify the city of Ephraim of the New 
Testament to which our Lord withdrew with his 
disciples, after the raising of Lazarus. Places of 
great interest are soon to be visited, but now 
we ride from Bethel near Ain Yebrud through 
the valley or glen Wady el-Haramiyeh, "Glen of 
the Robbers," a place of frequent bloody trage- 
dies, and we reach the modern Seilun, the ancient 
and sacred Shiloh. Here the tabernacle of the 
Lord was first permanently set up in Palestine — 
the Lord's tent. 

Our living head who dwells in Shiloh, 
His bright sanctuary. 

We learn from these narratives that we ought 
in all our journeys to have an altar unto the 
Lord. Most interesting are the suggestions 
which come to us from Jacob's visit to Bethel ; 
he needed both rebuke and discouragement. He 
sinned against his brother, against his father, 
and against his God. God intended that the 
younger should rule over the elder, but God did 
not need Jacob's sin in order that the divine 
promises might be fulfilled. Good ends do not 
justify bad means. That is a hypocritical as well 



BETHEL TO SHILOH 



as a Jesuitical and Satanic teaching which implies 
that any means may be adopted if only the ends 
sought are good. Rebekah was guilty of most 
unjust favoritism in dealing with her son. She 
wronged her husband, her elder son, her younger 
son, and herself, and dishonored God by her con- 
duct. Nowhere does the Bible endorse the lie 
which she enacted, and severely was she punished 
for her perfidy. She probably never saw Jacob 
again after he left the parental roof. She cheated 
her husband most abominably and brought im- 
measurable sorrow into the entire household. 

Jacob's dream shows us that heaven and earth 
may be near. The ladder which he saw sug- 
gests the close union between the two. It also 
teaches us that heavenly beings may constantly 
be passing from one mansion to another mansion 
of the Father's great house. Our L,ord empha- 
sizes this same truth when he said to Nathanael : 
" Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the 
angels of God ascending and descending upon 
the Son of man." It is a remarkable fact that 
here the angels are spoken of as ascending before 
they are described as descending. Some of the 
Fathers of the church saw in the ladder of 
Jacob's vision a suggestion of the incarnation of 
Christ. He is the true ladder between God and 
man. In his divinity he reaches to heaven ; in 
his humanity he touches the earth. Up this 
ladder we may climb ; he became the Son of 
Man that the sons of men might become the sons 
of God. Over the head of every child of God as 
he sleeps, angels may hover, and above him may 



1 66 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



be the great God bending over him in benedic- 
tion. 

The later history of Bethel shows us at once 
both the fulfillment of God's promises of bless- 
ing and the certainty of the infliction of de- 
served punishment. It is a terrible thing to op- 
pose the living God. When God's people sinned 
by disobeying his command they were powerless 
in overcoming their foes. The defeat of Joshua 
at Ai led him to make careful inquiry and to 
discover the transgressor. Sin to-day cuts the 
nerves of power. Sin robs us of intellectual 
vigor and spiritual enjoyment. The church of 
God would be irresistible if it were entirely con- 
strained by the love of Christ, and were living 
always in the exercise of perfect obedience to 
God. When Christians so live men take knowl- 
edge of them that they have been with Jesus and 
have learned of him. When they so live the 
church becomes " clear as the sun, fair as the 
moon, and terrible as an army with banners." 
Jacob's ladder will ever be fruitful in suggestion, 
instruction, and inspiration. 

1 Twas thus the ladder* s loAvest round 

Rose up where, faint and weary thrown, 
The Patriarch' s head no pillow found 

More gentle than the stone. 
Yet there he caught the message bright 

That sounded down the golden spars, 
And track' d, in dreams, the steps of light 

That stretch' d beyond the stars, 
And knew they were the shining road 
That took the angels up to God. 



XV 



SHILOH — " PEACE " 

1HAVB already briefly mentioned the route 
from Bethel to Shiloh, but it is worthy of 
fuller description. Vines, figs, and olives re- 
mind us that we are in the fruitful territory of 
Ephraim. We pass over some very rough roads 
and a height crowned with a ruin called Kasr el- 
Berdawil, " Castle of Baldwin." We then take 
the road to the north, leading past ruins and 
grand olive trees. Near us is Jifna, the ancient 
Gophnah, which lies in a pleasant oasis and con- 
tains about four hundred inhabitants, most of 
whom are Christians. There are a Latin monas- 
tery and church, and to the south of the village 
is a Greek church. From Jifna there is a road 
to Tibneh, supposed to be the ancient Timnath- 
serah, where the tomb of Joshua is pointed out 
among other rock graves. There is the narrow 
valley with its lonely environs, which seems to 
justify the name given to it, " The Spring of the 
Robbers." The water is remarkably good as it 
trickles down from the base of the cliff. Soon 
we are at Sinjil, a small village named originally 
Casale Saint Giles by the crusaders, from Count 
Raymond of Saint Giles. We must make a 
slight digression to reach Shiloh, but it will well 

167 



1 68 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



repay us to go to this ancient place. After a 
number of turnings and the avoidance of differ- 
ent pathways, we are at these very interesting 
ruins. Without doubt Seilun is identical with 
the Shiloh of Scripture. Shiloh is to-day a 
large heap of ruins. Standing beside these ruins, 
if the traveler has any real knowledge of Scrip- 
ture, his first thought on beholding the mound 
covered with masses of debris, huge stones, and 
pieces of broken columns, will be the singularly 
graphic fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 
when he said : " Go ye now unto my place which 
was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, 
and see what I did to it for the wickedness of 
my people, Israel. And now, because ye have 
done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake 
unto you, . . but ye heard not; . . therefore 
will I do unto this house ... as I have done 
to Shiloh." 1 Jeremiah is here using Shiloh as 
a type of the destruction which should fall on 
the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. He there- 
fore adds, in 26 : 6 : "I will make this house 
like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to 
all the nations of the earth." 

The traveler may then well think of the inter- 
esting historical events which cluster about the 
name and place. Bear in mind that we are 
about twenty miles north of Jerusalem, twelve 
miles south of Shechem, and two miles east of 
the main road between them by way of Bethel. 
When the Promised Land was subdued, the 



1 Jer. 7 : 12-14. 



SHILOH— " PEACE " 



169 



Israelites assembled here and established the ark 
and the tabernacle, which had previously been 
at Gilgal. Here Joshua allotted portions to the 
seven tribes not yet located. Here the ark and 
the tabernacle, the symbols of the worship of 
Jehovah, remained during the period of the 
judges. In a little valley are a spring and pool 
affording an abundant supply of water. This 
was in all probability the scene of the dancing 
of the daughters of Shiloh in connection with 
the yearly festivals. There were the three great 
annual feasts — the Passover, the feast of Pente- 
cost, and the feast of Tabernacles, after the 
fruits of the earth were all gathered. This feast 
was a national harvest home. It was observed 
with dances 011 the green near the ancient well, 
and at one of the feasts the remnants of the 
Benjamites seized the daughters of Shiloh for 
wives. To Shiloh Hannah came to pray ; there 
her vow was made and there it was fulfilled. 
In Shiloh Samuel grew up ; to this place he was 
brought from Ramah and given to the Lord by 
his grateful mother. Hither came the mother 
to the yearly sacrifice, bringing with her the 
little coat for the boy Samuel, who ministered 
before the Lord. , Here were committed the sins 
of the sons of Eli, and here sat the old man 
waiting for news of the battle with the Philis- 
tines. Up this valley ran the messenger with 
torn garments and with ashes on his head to 
announce the ark's capture by the Philistines. 
Here Eli fell backward and broke his neck on 
receiving the fearful tidings. Terrible was the 



170 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



news that his sons were dead, but most terrible 
was the news that the ark was taken. He re- 
garded the desolation of God's house as sadder 
than the desolation of his own home. The piti- 
ful message brought sorrow to the now widowed 
woman, who could not be comforted with the 
birth of a boy when his father was dead and the 
ark taken, and with her dying breath she called 
the child " Ichabod," because the glory was 
departed. 

With the loss of the ark Shiloh lost all. Taken 
by the Philistines, the ark never was returned 
to Shiloh, and from that time the city is seldom 
mentioned. To Shiloh came in disguise the 
wife of Jeroboam to consult the prophet Ahijah 
as to the recovery of her darling child. She 
was told of the coming extermination of the 
whole royal family, and also of the death of the 
sick child the moment her feet should touch the 
door ; and all these sad prophecies were literally 
fulfilled, as we see by 1 Kings 14 : 1-17. 

At Shiloh we naturally expect to see traces of 
the tabernacle, where the ark for hundreds of 
years remained. Major Wilson has pointed out 
such traces. The unusual title of the principal 
mosque at Shiloh suggested the tradition of the 
presence here of the tabernacle of God. That 
title is: " Mosque of the Eternal." In Gen. 
49 : 10, Christ is called Shiloh : " Until Shiloh 
come, and unto him shall the gathering of the 
people be." Shiloh was the place to which 
God's chosen people gathered, as we have al- 
ready seen ; so unto Christ as the complete 



SHIU)H — " PEACE " 



171 



Shiloh should men come. This prophecy, as I 
stood by the ruins, was full of cheer and hope, 
full of truth and gladness. Christ said : " And 
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all 
men unto me." Already this glorious prophecy 
is having its fulfillment. God hasten its full 
realization ! 

Tibneh or Timnath-serah. — This place I 
did not visit, although, as already stated, I was 
near it ; but it is so important that I ought not 
to pass it by without a fuller reference. Tim- 
nath-serah has been identified as the modern 
Tibneh west of Shiloh. It is referred to in 
Joshua 19 : 50, and also 24 : 30, and also in 
other places. It furnished Joshua a home and 
an income in his lifetime and a burial-place 
when he died. It is a very interesting fact that 
recently Joshua's tomb is supposed to have been 
discovered by M. Guerin, who was engaged by 
the French government in scientific explorations 
in Palestine. He located it at Tibneh, or, as he 
calls it in French, Tigne. And this place he 
considers to be the ancient Timnath-serah, the 
heritage of Joshua. There are many tombs in 
the hills at this place. There is one, however, 
with a vestibule supported by two columns, and 
the place is furnished with nearly three hundred 
niches for lamps. The vestibule gives entrance 
to two chambers, one containing fifteen recepta- 
cles for coffins, and the other one. M. Guerin 
believes that the body of Joshua was placed in 
this single receptacle. In the Septuagint it is 



172 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



stated that the sharp flint knives with which at 
Gilgal the distinctive Jewish rite was performed 
were buried in Joshua's tornb. On removing 
the d'ebris which covered the floor of the tomb, 
M. Guerin found a number of flint knives, and 
on making some excavations at Gilgal a number 
of similar knives were found. There is a fillet 
surrounding the pillars in the vestibule of the 
tomb which indicates an Egyptian style of orna- 
mentation in the tombs, and so argues that the 
tomb was erected at a period which harmonizes 
with the time of Joshua. This is certainly a 
very interesting find. God is bringing from the 
sands of the desert and from many hoary tombs 
witnesses to the truth of his word. 

Hastening to Jacob's Well. — The sun was 
hot as we hastened forward on our journey to 
Jacob's Well, but the plain over which we pass 
must present in springtime a green and attract- 
ive appearance. Descending into the Wady el- 
Lubban we soon reached a fountain of excel- 
lent water beside a ruined khan. The place is 
supposed to be the ancient Lebonah, which is 
mentioned in the book of Judges in a passage 
which helps us to locate Shiloh. Traveling on 
a better road, passing a village and a khan, 
descending to another khan and having our 
luncheon, we then go up a hill to a plateau, 
where a glorious view greeted us. Before us is 
a plain surrounded by the hills of Samaria. On 
the left is Gerizim and beyond that rises Kbal, 
and away to the north is the magnificent snow- 



SHIU)H — " PEACE " 



173 



clad Hermon. All about us are evidences of 
fertility; the "good things" promised to the 
tribe of Ephraim still remain. The olive and 
the fig and the vine still abound. We are now, 
and have been for some time, in Samaria. Who 
are the Samaritans? This is an interesting 
question. Later it will be answered more fully, 
but a partial answer now will help us. 

After Israel had been conquered by the As- 
syrians the territory lay waste, except as it was 
inhabited by colonists from the east. These 
were pagans. The king of Assyria sent them 
some Jewish priests ; as a result the people 
adopted a mixed religion. They became by 
blood and faith mongrel Jews. We are told 
that "they feared the Lord and worshipped their 
own gods." The Jews disliked them and re- 
jected their offers of help in building the second 
temple. The Samaritans, however, built a 
temple for themselves, The Jews in Christ's 
time had no dealings with the Samaritans. 
Both Jews and Mohammedans oppose them to 
this day. 

The plain of El-Mukhna, along which we 
ride, is the most beautiful and fruitful of val- 
leys. It is about ten miles long and nearly two 
wide. We take the road which leads to Jacob's 
Well. Our horses for hours have been carefully 
picking their way over stony places ; now there 
is a chance for a brisk canter, and as such oppor- 
tunities in Palestine are rare, horses and riders 
are ready for a gallop in this beautiful and his- 
toric plain. It is approaching evening ; the sun 



174 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



is westering. We mounted our horses before 
sunrise ; we are tired, but glad and grateful as 
we ride. Glorious are these lofty mountains of 
Gerizim and Ebal ; beautiful is this plain. 
Here perhaps grew the grain which suggested 
to our Lord the ripening harvest among the 
Samaritans. Before us is Nablus, and here 
beside us is a very sacred spot ; it is also one of 
the best authenticated spots in Palestine. It is 
Jacob's Well. We dismount ; our legs are stiff 
and sore ; our lips are dry from the hot sun and 
wind. But our souls are tender, grateful, and 
joyous. All about us are Russian pilgrims, 
footsore and weary ; they are mending their gar- 
ments and shoes and taking part in the worship 
at the evening service beside the immortal well. 
We have yet to hasten to Nablus, but we shall 
refresh our lips and hearts beside the well on 
whose curb sat Jesus at the noonday hour. Of 
this well I shall speak at greater length here- 
after. 

We see here, as we have seen so frequently in 
our discussions of sacred sites, how modern dis- 
coveries are proving the truth of Scripture 
declarations. There is scarcely a day but we 
find that even the secular papers are bearing 
witness to the harmony between the discoveries 
of modern science and the teachings of the old 
Bible. The critics took the pen to confute the 
prophets and evangelists, and now we see ex- 
cavators taking the spade to confute the critics. 
Again and again it has been affirmed that there 
was no record on the monuments of Egypt cor- 



SHILOH — " PEACE " 



*75 



roborating the statements of the Old Testament 
regarding the residence of the Israelites in that 
land. This assertion has frequently been used 
by those who attack the credibility of the Old 
Testament. Professor Toy, of Harvard Uni- 
versity, in lecturing recently in New York City 
on the Old Testament, called attention repeat- 
edly and significantly to this supposed omission. 
We now find that Prof. Flinders Petrie, in a 
recent number of the " Contemporary Review," 
gives a full account of the discovery of a marble 
slab in his excavations at Thebes. This slab 
contains six thousand signs, and Professor Petrie 
gives Mr. Griffith's translation of one inscription. 
It is worthy of our consideration. This inscrip- 
tion describes a Libyan invasion ; it gives also 
a list of conquests in the East. In recording 
these conquests this sentence occurs : " The 
people of Ysiraal is spoiled, it hath no seed ; 
Syria has become as widows in the land of 
Egypt." Many explanations have been given 
of the phrase, " hath no seed." Professor Petrie 
gives five different explanations, but the matter 
of chief importance for us is that an inscription 
is found giving a clear account of Israel as in close 
association with the Hittites and Syrians. The 
entire story of this marble slab is deeply inter- 
esting, but it is not our purpose here to enlarge 
upon the details of the discovery. The amount 
of inscription on it is very great and its con- 
dition is perfect, not a single sign being defaced 
or even injured. It is affirmed that the scenes 
are as complete and the faces of the figures as 



i 7 6 



SLNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



fresh and bright as if all the work had been done 
yesterday. It is delightful to the student of the 
Bible, even though he considers it only as his- 
tory, to see how its statements are confirmed by 
the discoveries of modern science in its various 
forms of activity. Doubtless this process will 
continue. Many of the critics and skeptics of 
to-day will be utterly routed by the discoveries 
of earnest excavators and by the interpretations 
of competent critics in future generations. God 
is proving, as seldom before in the history of the 
human race, that his word shall stand whatever 
else may fall. " The grass " of infidel oratory 
" withereth," the "flower" of infidel science 
"fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand 
forever." 



i 



XVI 



JACOB'S WEIX AND JOSEPH'S TOMB 

IT was toward evening when we reached this 
deeply interesting place. We had already 
been about ten hours on our horses for that day, 
and we had still to ride to Nablus, or Shechem, 
distant nearly a half-hour's ride ; but the topo- 
graphical and historical charms of the locality 
held us under their spell. I have few memories 
of the Holy Land more vivid and delightful 
than those connected with this sacred spot. 

After riding up the long valley of El-Mukhna 
we turned the northeast corner of Mount Ger- 
izim, rode about half an hour more and then 
turned to the right of the road, and we were at 
the famous well. Adjoining it are the ruins of 
an old church and heaps of rubbish are piled up 
on every side. The well belongs to the Greek 
Church, and while I stood beside it a service was 
in progress under the leadership of a priest of 
that church. He read the account given in the 
fourth chapter of John's Gospel of the interview 
between Christ and the woman of Samaria. I 
could catch enough of the words to guide me as 
to what was the subject of the reading. The 
people listened with open-eyed wonder, when 
they were not kneeling before the priest or kiss- 

m 177 



i 7 8 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ing parts of the crumbling structure about the 
well. 

There is a very general agreement among 
Jews, Christians, and Moslems that this is the 
well of Jacob. The tradition to this effect is 
traceable as far back as the fourth century. The 
location of the well is highly favorable to this 
general opinion ; it is on the high-road from 
Jerusalem to Galilee, and is thus in full har- 
mony with the narrative in the fourth chapter of 
John's Gospel, to which reference has already 
been made. The Samaritan woman came from 
Sychar, which is probably identical with the 
modern Asker. Her language to Christ shows 
us that in that early day this well was supposed 
to be Jacob's, and that the neighboring field was 
that which he purchased and where Joseph after- 
ward was buried. Doctor Hanna tells us that 
this is the only limited and well-defined locality 
in Palestine that we may with certainty connect 
with the presence of our divine Lord and Master. 
He thus writes : " You cannot in all Palestine 
draw a circle of limited diameter within whose 
circumference you can be absolutely certain that 
Jesus once stood, except round Jacob's well ; and 
I had the greatest possible desire to tread that 
circle round and round, and to sit here and there 
and everywhere around the well's mouth, that 
I might gratify a long cherished wish." And 
then he adds : " How bitter a disappointment on 
reaching it to find no open space at the well- 
mouth ; but spread all around the remains of an 
old building, over whose ruinous wall we had to 



JACOB'S WEUv AND JOSEPH'S TOMB 1 79 



scramble and slide down, through heaps of stones 
and rubbish, till through two or three small ap- 
ertures we looked down into the undiscoverable 
well." But notwithstanding the partial disap- 
pointment of which Doctor Hanna speaks, this 
is still one of the most interesting spots in Pal- 
estine. 

Before examining the well itself let us take in 
our surroundings. Around us are the fields to 
which Christ pointed when he said : " Lift up 
your eyes and look on the fields, for they are 
white already to harvest." 1 On our right is the 
parcel of ground which Jacob gave to his son 
Joseph. Yonder is the opening between the two 
hills through which Christ saw the groups of 
people pouring down from Sychar. There on 
the left is Gerizim, to which the woman of Sa- 
maria may have pointed as she said : " Our fathers 
worshipped in this mountain." 2 An actual view 
of this fascinating place wonderfully illustrates 
and illumines the whole narrative as given in 
the fourth of John. 

As you approach the well you come to an ir- 
regular chamber cut into the ground and walled 
up on the sides. Perhaps the space was once 
nearly square — about seventeen by fifteen feet. 
This space was once spanned by an archway, 
and doubtless over it there once was a chapel 
built in the fourth century and still existing in 
the eighth. The well is in the center of this 
chamber, its mouth being concealed by heaps of 



1 John 4 : 35. 



2 John 4 : 20. 



i8o 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



rubbish and stones. It is not a spring of water 
bubbling up from the earth, but is rather a shaft 
cut into the living rock, about nine feet in diam- 
eter and about seventy feet deep. Once it may 
have been twice as deep. Maundrell, in 1697, 
found it to be one hundred and five feet deep. 
The falling into it of rubbish and the dropping 
of stones by many tourists and pilgrims have 
greatly lessened its depth. It was intended to 
be a reservoir of water rather than a means of 
reaching a natural spring. If one were to enter 
the funnel-shaped mouth and descend, he could 
enter a sort of cave a few feet below the surface, 
and would find the remains of a small dome 
which once covered the mouth. 

Take in the picture of Christ here sitting on 
the well, wearied with his journey. Was he 
thinking of Abraham, who built his first altar 
in the land at this opening of the plain ? Per- 
haps he thought of Jacob, whose only possession 
in the land of promise was here ; perhaps of 
Joseph wandering in this neighborhood in search 
of his brethren. Perhaps he repeopled the sides 
of Bbal and Gerizim, and heard the " Amen " as 
the curses were pronounced on Ebal and bless- 
ings on Gerizim. Well might he say in the 
midst of such associations, " I have meat to eat 
that ye know not of." The whole neighborhood 
was full of the things concerning himself. 

The question has sometimes been asked, why 
should Jacob have dug this well when springs 
were so numerous in the vicinity ? But so far 
as we know there was no suitable spring on his 



JACOB'S WEI.lv AND JOSEPH'S TOMB l8l 



part of the ground. He was too wise to be de- 
pendent on others for water for himself and his 
cattle ; it was most important that he should 
have a well of his own. In no part of Palestine 
is water more abundant than at Shechem. Why, 
then, did this woman come to Jacob's well ? Per- 
haps the water from this deep reservoir was 
cooler than ordinary spring water, and it is al- 
most certain also that in the judgment of the 
people a special sacredness attached to this water 
as taken from the well of "our father Jacob," as 
the woman said to Jesus. It is not at all un- 
likely that she lived in that part of the town of 
Sychar situated nearest to the well. 

About a quarter of a mile to the north of the 
well is the building shown as Joseph's tomb. It 
is exactly in the center of the opening of the 
valley between Gerizim and Ebal. The present 
structure is entirely modern. It was restored in 
1868 by a Mr. Rogers, the English consul. In 
the hollows of the tomb the Jews, and perhaps 
the Mohammedans, burn incense to the memory 
of Joseph. The structure is in good repair and 
measures thirty by thirty-five feet. It is claimed 
that under a particular spot is the very dust of 
Joseph, and this statement is possibly true. In 
Josh. 24 : 32 it is said : " And the bones of Joseph 
which the children of Israel brought up out of 
Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of 
ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Ha- 
mor, the father of Shechem, for an hundred 
pieces of silver ; and it became the inheritance 
of the children of Joseph." 



182 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



But a greater than Joseph was here. Shechein 
is hallowed because of the presence of Jesus. 
This thought glorifies all Palestine. Jesus came 
by the very road which I came, and he looked 
on sights on which my eyes rested to-day. 

Oh, here with his flock the blest Wanderer came ; 

The hills he toiled over in grief are the same ; 

The founts where he drank by the wayside still flow ; 

And the same airs are blowing which breathed on his brow. 

The Vaeley of Nablus. — We remount our 
horses, turn to the west and enter the valley of 
Nablus. On our left rises Mount Gerizim, on 
our right, Mount Ebal. The valley itself is well 
cultivated ; so are portions of the sides of the 
mountains. The sun is near its setting ; we have 
been on our horses for ten hours and we and they 
are weary. The town of Nablus is just before 
us, and toward it we are hastening. In a few 
minutes after leaving Jacob's Well we reach the 
village of Balata. Both Christian tradition and 
Samaritan chronicles agree that here stood the 
oak of Abraham. Under this oak Abraham had 
worshiped. Under this oak Jacob, before going 
up to Bethel, as we learn from Gen. 35:4, buried 
the teraphim, idols or images, which were in 
some way regarded as objects of idolatrous wor- 
ship. In coming to Shechem his family clung 
to their superstitious worship. It is supposed 
that these teraphim were figures somewhat re- 
sembling the human form. Eastern people are 
still given to superstitions regarding the talis- 
manic power of earrings and other charms. 



JACOB'S WEIX AND JOSEPH'S TOMB 1 83 



Soon after we reach a spring where there are 
Turkish barracks with a small arsenal and hos- 
pital. We now see some of the many beauties 
of this lovely valley. A reasonably good car- 
riage road leads from this point into the town of 
Nablus. Olive groves now begin. Take in the 
view: Gerizim, on our left, is three thousand one 
hundred and seventy-nine feet high ; and Ebal 
on our right is three thousand three hundred 
and seventy-five feet high. Their tops are about 
eight hundred feet above the town, which we 
now can see a mile farther on. It clings to the 
foot of Gerizim and extends nearly to Ebal. The 
locality is lovely in the extreme. Many streams 
burst from the sides of the mountains, and in 
the springtime their sides are luxuriant with the 
rich vegetation and foliage. Vegetable gardens, 
fruit orchards, and groves of olives abound. 
Foliage is here seen " from the deepest green to 
the softest gray and the most delicate russet " ; 
and as Doctor Fish remarks, these colors are "all 
harmoniously blended, melting in the distance 
into the purple and azure tints of the mountain 
sides and summits." The music of gurgling 
streams and the song of birds and the soft foli- 
age make a scene strangely fascinating. Grape 
vines, flowers of endless variety, almond, pome- 
granate, poplar, walnut, apple, fig, orange, and 
mulberry may all be seen here. So much of 
Palestine is rough, barren, and deserted, that this 
town and its environs present a striking contrast. 
Every traveler, in springtime especially, will en- 
dorse Dean Stanley's fine description : 



184 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



A valley green with grass and gray with olives ; gardens 
sloping down on each side ; fresh springs rushing down in 
all directions ; at the end a white tower embosomed in all this 
verdure, lodged between the two high mountains which ex- 
tend on each side of the valley — that on the south, Ger- 
izim ; that on the north, Ebal. This is the aspect of Nablus, 
the most beautiful, perhaps the only very beautiful, spot in 
central Palestine. 

Soon we had entered Nablus, of which I shall 
speak later, and I dismounted at the Latin Mon- 
astery, after a ride of nearly eleven hours, having 
come from Jerusalem that day, and feeling suf- 
ficiently weary to sleep on any kind of a bed and 
under any sort of roof. It ought to be said that 
the " Brothers " in this convent manifested 
marked courtesy to their guest. They make no 
charge, but all guests are thus put in some sense 
on their honor, with an added appeal to their re- 
ligious nature, and as a result they pay more 
than they would at a hotel of the same grade. 

All who are familiar with Palestine and Syria 
speak of the absence of the soft atmospheric 
tints which give beauty in some countries. The 
glowing tints abound in Palestine, but the soft 
hues are wanting there. In the valley of Nablus, 
however, the abundance of moisture in the at- 
mosphere, caused by so many streams, occasions 
the grayish blue and bluish gray tints which give 
a beauty to this neighborhood that is unique in 
Palestine. All the exhalations among the trees 
tend to give the soft blue gray and the dusky hues 
which remove from the mountains their harsh 
outlines and clothe them in hazy robes of peer- 
less beauty. But the greatest charm which the 



JACOB'S WELL, AND JOSEPH'S TOMB 1 85 



Christian tourist experiences in this entire vi- 
cinity is that given it by the presence and words 
of the Lord Jesus. One's heart is moved as he 
knows that he is looking upon mountains and 
valleys on which the divine-human eyes of him 
who was Son of God and Son of Man rested. 
The echo of his words to the woman of Samaria 
seems still to be heard in this historic valley. 
His declaration to her of his Messiahship, and his 
sympathy with her whom the Pharisees would 
have cast out, still make his presence real ; and 
these elements of his character find a full en- 
dorsement in the broad thought, fraternal feel- 
ing, and the sympathetic impulses of the brother- 
hood characteristic of the closing decade of the 
nineteenth century. Not Joshua, not Jacob, not 
Joseph, but Jesus preaches on these hilltops. 
Jesus Christ fills Palestine, fills the world with 
the wisdom of his teaching and the beauty of 
his character. 



XVII 



NABUJS AND THE SAMARITANS 

A GLANCE at the form of this word, Nablus, 
shows that it is a corruption of the word 
Neapolis, or New Town. The fuller form of the 
name is Flavia Neapolis. The addition to the 
name commemorated the restoration of the town 
by Flavius Vespasianus. This name is one of 
the rare instances found in Palestine in which 
the ancient Hebrew name has given place to a 
name of Roman origin. It was called also Ma- 
mortha, which signifies "pass," or "place of pass- 
age " ; but the more ancient name is Shechem, 
which means "the back," or "the shoulder." 

This place brings us at once into touch with 
remote history. It brings before us Abraham, 
the patriarch, coming hither from Ur of the 
Chaldees ; here he erected his first altar in Ca- 
naan. 1 Later, Jacob, his grandson, on his return 
from Padan-aram, encamped near Shechem, then 
a city of the Hivites ; down here at the right he 
crossed the Jordan with his "two bands"; he 
bought a parcel of land, pitched his tent, and 
dug the famous well, of which I have already 
spoken. The land which he bought he be- 
queathed as a special portion to Joseph, who 



186 



1 Gen. 12 : 6, 7. 



NABLUS AND THE SAMARITANS 187 



also erected an altar. 1 After the conquest of the 
land Shechem fell to the lot of the tribe of 
Ephraim ; but it was assigned to the Levites 
and became a city of refuge. While Joshua 
lived this town was a center of union to the 
tribes ; probably because it was the nearest large 
town to Timnath-serah which, it will be remem- 
bered, was the residence of Joshua himself. 
After the death of Gideon it became the scene 
of the revolt of Abimelech, who induced the 
Shechemites to rebel and select him as their 
king. Under Rehoboam, who went there to be 
crowned, the national assembly was held there, 
and that assembly resulted in the separation of 
the northern tribes from the southern. Shechem 
became the first capital of the northern kingdom 
under Jeroboam ; but the seat of government was 
soon transferred to Tirzah. During the Chris- 
tian period Neapolis became the seat of a bishop- 
ric. It is an interesting fact that the Christian 
philosopher and martyr, Justin, a heathen by 
birth, was born at Neapolis about A. d. 100. 
Pastors of Neapolis are mentioned as attending 
church councils until A. d. 536. In the seventh 
century the city was taken by Moslems. In about 
1099 the crusaders took the town, after the tak- 
ing of Jerusalem ; but the Moslems were again 
masters in 1242. The city and neighborhood 
are noted for their insecurity, the people having 
the reputation of being turbulent and quarrel- 
some. Nablus is a perfect watershed, the waters 



1 Gen. 33 : 18-20. 



1 88 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



flowing off in all directions. Some streams run 
east into the Jordan, and others northwest into 
the Mediterranean. The city is one thousand 
eight hundred and seventy feet above the sea 
level and has, perhaps, twenty thousand inhabi- 
tants, of whom seven to eight hundred are Chris- 
tians, mostly of the Greek Church, about two 
hundred Samaritans, and a few Jews, a few 
Romanists, and one hundred and twenty priests. 
The Romanists have a monastery and school in 
the eastern part of the town. There are twenty- 
six manufacturers of soap, which is made from 
olive oil. There is also a considerable trade in 
wool and cotton with the countries east of the 
Jordan. 

The streets are narrow, crooked, and dirty. 
The houses are packed close together as in Jeru- 
salem. The bazaars are extensive, and the streets 
are so crowded as to make one's progress slow 
and difficult. Traveling merchants are here 
from many parts of the world, and there is the 
usual chaffering in buying and selling. Time is 
of little value in the Orient, and the sale of an 
article worth only a few cents may take half the 
morning and also volumes of loud and mean- 
ingless talk. Instead of counting their money, 
they weigh it ; this is true not only of bullion, 
but also of coin, lest a depreciated kind might 
be offered. As in the days of the patriarchs, 
stones are used for weights in buying and sell- 
ing. In L,ev. 19 : 36, we have in our translation 
"just balances"; the literal translation is "just 
stones " ; and the word shekel, comes from shakel, 



NABL,US AND THE SAMARITANS iSc) 



to weigh, indicating the original mode of reck- 
oning money. 

Here is the spot where it is supposed the 
tribes came to renew their loyalty to the law. 
Yonder high point is still called Joshua's pulpit. 
Some critics have been disposed to deny that 
the voices could be heard from one mount to the 
other ; but there is no ground whatever for this 
denial. Many actual tests have proved how 
very easily the voices could be heard. It was 
not on the tops, but on the sides, of these moun- 
tains that the representatives of the tribes stood 
on Gerizim to bless and on Ebal to curse, w T hile 
the thousands of Israel stood in the valley be- 
tween to utter their long and loud "Amen." It 
was an occasion of wonderful solemnity. The 
valley at this point is not more than six hun- 
dred feet across, while where the town stands it 
is from one thousand five hundred to two thou- 
sand feet. At the point where the tribes met 
the valley is a sort of natural amphitheatre, there 
being a recess in Ebal exactly corresponding to a 
recess in Gerizim. Captains Wilson and Ander- 
son, of the Palestine Exploration Fund, proved 
by actual measurements and experiments, that 
this place is admirably adapted in size and in 
acoustic properties for great assemblies. There 
is still a spot where there is shown the Pillar 
El-Ahmud, which is supposed to be the tradi- 
tional stones set up by Joshua. There is no 
ground whatever for the opinion which I used to 
hear often expressed that Ebal was peculiarly 
barren while Gerizim was green and fruitful. 



I90 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

There is some vegetable growth on both, but 
until the base is reached, both are for the most 
part barren. 

In the midst of much that is very beautiful in 
Nablus is the sorrow wdiich one experiences in 
seeing the miseries and hearing the plaintive 
cries of the lepers in this city. They constantly 
intrude their misfortunes before the notice of 
the visitor. Their distorted faces and wasting 
limbs are a sad sight, and their husky wail is 
one of the saddest sounds one ever hears. They 
dwell apart and marry only among themselves. 
Their children are as pleasing in appearance as 
other children until they reach the age of ten to 
twelve years; then the deadly taint exhibits 
itself, and soon they also must take their place 
with others like them in the leper community. 

The Samaritan People. — Their quarter is 
in the southwestern part of the town. There 
these strange people have lived, separate from all 
other peoples of the earth, for nearly three thou- 
sand years. They have their own Bible, the 
five books of Moses, and they continue their own 
forms of service, sacrifice, and worship. Think 
of the great changes which have taken place in 
the world during the time that these people 
have existed as a distinct religious body ! Em- 
pires have risen and fallen, dynasties have 
sprung up and held sway and have passed into 
oblivion; republics have "danced into light, and 
have died into the shade," but these strange 
people have held together and have maintained 



NABI/US AND THE SAMARITANS I9I 



their racial distinctions and their religious pe- 
culiarities unchanged amid the thousands of 
changes in thousands of nations. Their syna- 
gogue is a small whitewashed chamber, which 
we reached by passing through very narrow and 
obscure streets. The Mohammedans constantly 
oppress this feeble remnant of a very ancient 
and remarkable people. The pavement of the 
little synagogue is covered with matting; the 
rule being that it must not be trodden on 
with shoes. Arabic is now the language of the 
Samaritans in ordinary matters, but the prayers 
are repeated in the Samaritan tongue. The men 
wear white surplices and red turbans ; they can, 
therefore, be readily distinguished when met on 
the streets. They are very cleanly. By the 
payment of a small sum of money I had the op- 
portunity of seeing the Samaritan Codex, or copy 
of the Pentateuch. It is kept in a vault and it 
was brought out carefully wrapped in a crimson 
satin scarf, which was embroidered with letters 
of gold. The parchment is yellow with age and 
is much worn by frequent handling. The Sa- 
maritans claim that it was written by Abishua, 
the son of Phinehas, a son or grandson of Aaron, 
and that it is three thousand five hundred years 
old. But this claim is doubtless a myth, and 
an inferior codex is generally palmed off on 
gullible travelers. By paying an extra fee I 
saw both the old and the older one. 

Yakub is the present high priest. He claims 
to be a descendant of the tribe of Levi. His 
office is hereditary, and the holder of it is sup- 



I92 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ported by tithes paid him by his people, who are 
now a feeble folk. These descendants of the 
ancient Samaritan people are their only repre- 
sentatives now in the world sufficiently strong 
and numerous to maintain public worship. They 
alone, of all peoples, keep up bloody sacrifices 
according to the old Jewish law. 

Sanballat, the Persian satrap, being offended 
because his son-in-law was excluded from the 
priest's office and expelled from Jerusalem, allied 
himself with Tobiah the Ammonite, Geshem the 
Arabian, and built a temple on Gerizim. In A. D. 
487 the Samaritans were driven away, and a 
Christian church built on the site of this ancient 
temple. After the Mohammedan conquest it fell 
into ruins and the Samaritans were permitted to 
return to their venerated place, but they built 
neither altar nor temple. Mount Gerizim was 
chosen, as w r e have seen, by the Samaritans as 
the place of a sanctuary of their own. Shechem 
at its base thus rose in importance, and Samaria 
correspondingly declined. Conflicts constantly 
took place between the Jews and the Samaritans. 
The temple on Mount Gerizim, which had stood 
for tw T o hundred years, was destroyed by John 
Hyrcanus, about 129 b. c. Vespasian slew eleven 
thousand six hundred Samaritan rebels on Mount 
Gerizim who resisted him in his subjugation of 
Palestine. In the sixth century A. D. the Samar- 
itans martyred many Christians. About the 
year 1000 there were about one thousand Sa- 
maritans at Nablus. Formerly they had small 
communities in Cairo and Damascus, but now 



NABUJS AND THE SAMARITANS 1 93 



their only synagogue is the one at Nablus. 
Their numbers are steadily decreasing, there 
being now only about fifty families. They have 
preserved a very venerable type of Jewish face 
and manners. 

Their Creed. — They believe in one God, 
and they abhor all forms of idolatry and image 
worship. They believe in good and evil spirits ; 
they also believe in the resurrection and the 
judgment. They expect the Messiah in six thou- 
sand years after creation, but they do not expect 
him to be more nor greater than Moses. They 
hold only the Pentateuch, or the five books of 
Moses, written in the old Hebrew or the Samar- 
itan writing. Bigamy is permitted under cer- 
tain conditions, and when a married man dies 
his nearest male relative, outside the circle of 
his brothers, must marry his widow. 

On the occasion of four of their festivals, that 
of unleavened bread, that of weeks, the feast of 
Tabernacles, and the Passover, they make a pil- 
grimage to the sacred Mount Gerizim. They 
observe all the Mosaic festivals ; but only at the 
Passover do they offer sacrifices. On the top of 
the " holy mountain " there are extensive ruins 
of a great temple built about five centuries b. c. 
There is a circular pit, four feet wide and nine 
deep, in which the sacrificial lambs are roasted 
according to Bxod. 12 : 10. The lambs are slain 
at sunset, and in this pit they are roasted. 
Prayers are recited, and then the people sit 
down and eat. The remnants are placed over 

N 



194 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



the fire and consumed, according to the com- 
mand in Exod. 12 : 10. Candles are lighted and 
the ground is searched in every direction so that 
no fragment may remain unburned. They rig- 
idly observe the Sabbath from Friday evening 
to Saturday evening, meeting three times in 
their synagogues and worshiping toward Geri- 
zim. 

I soon rode away over a shoulder of Bbal and 
took my last look at these two mountains, made 
immortal as the place of the blessing and the 
cursing. I could again people the valley, again 
hear and see the six tribes on Gerizim uttering 
blessings, and hear and see the six tribes on 
Ebal uttering curses, while the thousands on thou- 
sands stood in the valley between responding 
with their long and loud Amen ! It was a won- 
derful scene. The sun scorches us as we ride 
over the hills on our way to Samaria, and we 
think of our L,ord who showed his largeness of 
heart by honoring the name Samaritan in his 
parable, and by revealing himself to the Samari- 
tan woman at Jacob's Well, telling her more 
fully than up to that time he had any other that 
he was the Messiah. We need again his rebuke 
of the tendency to worship God on this moun- 
tain or that, and to remember his great saying : 
u God is a spirit, and they that worship him 
must worship him in spirit and in truth." 



XVIII 



FROM NABLUS TO SAMARIA 

AFTER "doing" Nablus we mounted our 
horses a little before noon and started for 
Jenin, taking in Samaria on our way. The 
sun was hot, and the roads were dry and glaring 
under the scorching heat. But we pressed on 
over the hills and through the deep valleys. In 
these rich valleys, at the proper season of the 
year, every variety of vegetation is seen. Many 
brooks and streams flow down the mountain- 
sides and collect in the vales below. As before 
remarked, those on the east flow to the Jordan, 
and those on the west to the Mediterranean — 
the vicinity of Nablus being the watershed of 
this region. 

We slowly climbed over a part of Ebal ; on 
neighboring hills pleasant-looking villages were 
seen. Two miles northeast of Ebal is Talluzah, 
the ancient Tirzah, " delight." It is truly beauti- 
ful for situation. Once it shared with Shechem 
the honors of being the capital city of the north- 
ern kingdom. In Solomon's Song 6 : 4, we 
have the words: "Thou art beautiful as Tirzah" 
— words that are applied to the spouse who, as 
is generally supposed, represents the church. 
Having used that text in a sermon, I was more 

195 



196 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



than glad to localize my thought and to em- 
phasize my appreciation of the beauty and ap- 
propriateness of this Scripture reference. Tirzah 
was originally a city of the Canaanites, and later 
became the royal seat of the kings of Israel 
from Jeroboam to Omri, who finally built the 
city of Samaria, which supplanted it as the cap- 
ital of the kingdom. 

Three and a half miles east of Shechem is a 
village which Robinson identifies with that of 
Salim where John the Baptist was baptizing, 
''because there was much water there." Some, 
however, place it near the Jordan, eight miles 
south of Beth-shan. The English Palestinian 
Expedition identifies it with Zarthan, or Tell Sa- 
rem. There is a large number of springs there, 
and it is therefore a place "where there is much 
water." 

Samaria. — Off in the distance, standing alone, 
is the hill of Sebastiyeh, or Samaria. Under 
the glare of the noonday sun we ride up the hill 
and soon reach the town. Wonderful memories 
crowd the mind as we approach this small, dirty 
village, surrounded by hedges of cactus and by 
historic ruins. These ruins suggest striking 
contrasts between the former grandeur and glory 
of the place and its present decay and desola- 
tion. We put our horses in the charge of one of 
the idle boys waiting for the guileless tourists, 
and before we look at the town as it appears to- 
day, refresh our minds with some facts of his- 
tory. 



FROM NABIyUS TO SAMARIA 1 97 



Samaria is between six and seven miles north- 
west of Shechem. It is built on an oblong hill 
rising one thousand five hundred and forty-two 
feet above the level of the sea. It rises near the 
center of a broad and deep valley encircled by 
hills, and its lofty situation enables one to see 
the Mediterranean in the distance. About 920 
b. c. Samaria was built by Omri, king of Israel, 
and named Shemer, after the previous owner of 
the hill. 1 Tirzah and Shechem had been capi- 
tals of Israel, but now Samaria became the capi- 
tal and continued such for two hundred years, 
until the captivity of the ten tribes. Shemer, 
or Shomer, was the first owner, hence the name 
Samaria, as we have seen. Soon the city be- 
came a seat of idolatry, and the prophets Isaiah, 
Jeremiah, Amos, and Micah prophesied very se- 
verely against it. In time Ahab built here a 
vast temple for Baal, as we learn from 1 Kings 
16 : 32, 33, and idolatrous worship was formally 
recognized by king and court. Indeed, a part of 
the city was called, "the city of the house of 
Baal." This temple was destroyed by Jehu. 

Samaria was a place of great strength. Twice 
it was besieged by the Syrians and rescued from 
them. The later siege was marked by a terri- 
ble famine, and a remarkable deliverance was 
foretold by Elisha. The king of Assyria be- 
sieged the place for three years, and Sargon took 
it 722 b. c., 2 and the people were carried as cap- 
tives to Assyria. Cuthite colonists partly re- 



1 1 Kings 16 : 23, 24. 2 2 Kings 17 : 5, 6; 18 : 9, 10. 



198 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



stored the city. Alexander the Great took the 
city 333 b. c. He colonized it with Syro-Mace- 
donians. John Hyrcanus captured it 129 B. c. 
In time Pompey restored the Samaritans who 
had been supplanted by Jews and Syro-Mace- 
donians. 

Augustus gave the city to Herod the Great, 
who chose it as his capital, adorned it with 
splendid palaces and a magnificent colonnade, 
which extended all around the hill. In honor 
of Augustus he named it Sebaste, which is the 
Greek equivalent of Augusta ; the name which 
the Arabs now give it, "Sebastiyeh," is just their 
form of the Greek word Sebaste. Herod brought 
six thousand colonists, who were chiefly veter- 
ans ; he also surrounded it with a strong wall 
and built a grand temple which he dedicated to 
Augustus. So perfect were the fortifications 
that the city was thought to be impregnable; 
and this fact gives peculiar point to the proph- 
ecy of Amos when he said (6:1): "Woe to them 
that . . . trust in the mountains of Samaria." 
Fragments of statues of the gods of the Greeks 
and Romans, among them a stone image of 
Jupiter, have been recently found, these gods 
having taken the place of Baal of the Phoeni- 
cians. 

Two incidents of the siege of Samaria will be 
remembered : The compact between the starving 
women, expressed in these words, "Give thy son 
that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my 
son to-morrow"; and the incident of the "four 
leprous men who sat at the entering of the gate, 



FROM NABLUS TO SAMARIA 



199 



and said one to the other, Why sit we here until 
we die?" and then acting on the suggestion and 
entering into the camp they found "there was no 
man there, neither voice of man," for the Syri- 
ans had all fled in the utmost terror. 

It will be remembered that the brave and no- 
ble prophet Elijah came to this city from the 
mountains of Gilead to rebuke the wicked King 
Ahab and foretell the long drought that was to 
come upon the land. Yonder in the valley lay 
the great Syrian army of Ben-hadad, the army 
so terribly defeated by the Israelites. To Sa- 
maria from Ramoth-Gilead came the blood- 
stained chariot of Ahab, who was pierced with 
an arrow from a bow drawm at a venture ; the 
chariot was brought to be "washed in the pool 
of Samaria," and the dogs licked up the king's 
blood, and the prophetic word was fearfully ful- 
filled. In Samaria, either the city or district, or 
both, the gospel was successfully preached by 
Philip and others, as we see by Acts 8 : 5-25. 
Here the sorcerer Simon had long practised his 
impostures, and he desired to buy the gift of 
working miracles. It was from this city, or re- 
gion, that Philip was summoned to go south to 
baptize the Ethiopian treasurer. The church 
formed in Samaria was represented in the Coun- 
cil of Nicea, A. d. 325 ; but in 614 the city fell 
under the power of the Moslems. A bishopric 
was established here by the crusaders, and many 
travelers mention the place in the succeeding 
centuries. But as Nablus grew in importance, 
Samaria declined, until now it is virtually a 



200 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



heap of ruins. Wonderful is the interest which 
attaches to places when we see them with all 
their remarkable historical associations fresh in 
mind. 

The first thing we did was to visit a Moham- 
medan school. The children were all studying 
aloud. It was a noisy school, I assure you. 
Our presence seriously interrupted their studies. 
Then the head-master brought up some of his 
best scholars to give us an exhibition of their 
great attainments ; and through the interpreter, 
I of course expressed great admiration for their 
attainments and appreciation of his considera- 
tion for our pleasure, for it must be assumed 
that there was nothing which I so much desired 
as to hear a recitation in Arabic. As we looked 
about we were again impressed with the exceed- 
ing beauty of the situation ; the valley below, 
the terraced hill, and the Mediterranean twenty 
miles away, but clearly visible. We visited the 
ruined church of John the Baptist, built by the 
crusaders of the twelfth century, on the sup- 
posed, but very improbable, site of his grave. 
Jerome is the first who mentions the tradition 
that John the Baptist is buried here. Later 
came the tradition that he was beheaded here. 
This church is now used as a mosque, and it is 
a very picturesque ruin. On the walls are still 
crosses of the Knights of St. John, although an 
attempt has been made to obliterate them. In 
the court there is a dome over the traditional 
sepulchre of John the Baptist. Descending a 
number of steps, lighted by a torch, we reached 



FROM NABL/US TO SAMARIA 201 



his tomb, together with that of Obadiah and 
several others. A massive stone door four feet 
high, is shown, said to be the actual door of 
John's prison ; but as Josephus states that John 
was beheaded in the castle of Machaerus, on the 
Dead Sea, it is difficult to see how his tomb is 
here. Jerome, as already indicated, was the first 
to refer to the tradition that John the Baptist 
was buried here. 

No one can visit Samaria without being struck 
by its splendid ruins. The Colonnade, or street 
of colonnades, many of the columns being 
monoliths, runs around the hillside. These col- 
onnades certainly date back to the time of the 
Herods; and many of them may be much older. 
Perhaps the number of these columns, whole or 
broken, is quite a hundred. Some are standing, 
some have fallen. Many lie scattered on lower 
terraces. They are of all sizes and now quite 
irregularly arranged, but when perfect in them- 
selves and regularly arranged they must have 
been superb. The rubbish on the hill clearly 
shows that once it was the place of great pal- 
aces, temples, theatres, and other public and 
splendid structures. On one terrace it is well- 
nigh certain that once a temple or theatre of 
vast proportions and of great beauty stood. Go- 
ing through the village one sees in dirty hovels 
slender shafts and columns with curiously 
wrought capitals, recalling the meridian days of 
Greek and Roman art, and intended to please 
the eyes of proud and voluptuous kings and 
queens. 



202 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



My dragoman took great pains to point out 
the traditional sites, such as the gate where the 
lepers sat, the palace of Ahab, the temple of 
Herod, and the old market. But nothing was 
of so much interest as the columns and colon- 
nades of which I have spoken; and of these 
none were of so much interest as those which 
have been rolled down the hill a distance of at 
least four hundred feet. Think of this fact as a 
literal fulfillment of Scripture! Listen to the 
words of God through the prophet Micah (i : 16) : 
"I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, 
and as. plantings of a vineyard, and I will pour 
down the stones thereof into the valley." There 
they are to-day, poured down in the valley. All 
this desolation is on the spot where once stood 
the splendid city of Samaria. What memories 
of Ahab, of Jezebel, of Elijah, and of Herod, 
rushed upon me ! The literal fulfillment of the 
prophecies of Scripture cannot but impress the 
tourist who visits Samaria. He must be an 
irrelevant thinker who does not see the close re- 
lation between the prophecy and the condition 
of things there. One might prophesy regarding 
certain general results among nations, if he were 
entirely familiar with the trend of their thought 
and action; but this prophecy comes down to 
details which are most minute. God was to 
pour the stones down into the valley; there the 
stones are lying to-day. God further declared 
that he would make Samaria "as plantings of a 
vineyard." This prophecy implies that portions 
of the ancient site should be used for various farm 



FROM NABI/US TO SAMARIA 203 



purposes. Let the tourist look around him and 
he will see the fulfillment of these predictions. 
There to-day are seen traces of vine-terraces all 
about this historic hill. Here also are patches 
of some kind of grain ; here also is the thresh- 
ing floor ; and here are evidences that the Arabs 
have recently been threshing and winnowing 
their grain. Can it be possible that once there 
stood on this hill and its sloping sides a great 
and splendid city? How wonderful are the 
literal fulfillments of ancient prophecies regard- 
ing Samaria and Palestine as a whole! This 
land is a witness to the truth of God's word; its 
barren hills and desolate plains testify to the 
reality of God's threatenings and the sins of 
God's people. From barren hillsides, rifled 
tombs, ancient parchments, and works of art of 
many kinds, proofs are multiplying regarding 
the truth of prophecy and the unchangeableness 
of God. 



XIX 



FROM SAMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JENIN 

[ 7ITH many memories of the splendor of 



V V Samaria in its palmy days and of the 
horrors of the time of which it could be said, 
"Lo, we boiled my son, and did eat him," and 
with an overwhelming conviction, as we looked 
on the stones thrown down into the valley, of 
the literal fulfillment of prophecy, we press on 
our way northward. Places of historic interest 
are about us. The Bible is becoming more and 
more a new book as it is illustrated by the sight 
of the places described. It is true that doubts 
regarding the genuineness of the sites rob the 
places pointed out of much of their power over 
the imagination; still, even the traditional sites 
are not without power to kindle the mind, to 
gratify the curiosity, and to vivify the historical 
narrative. 

With thoughts like these in mind we de- 
scended the hill where are the columns, entered 
the valley of Barley, and soon reached the village 
of Burka, under whose fine old olive trees trav- 
elers often camp. From the top of the hill near 
a glorious view bursts on the sight, — a great plain 
and its villages, — the plain of Ksdraelon, full of 
places of interest, and yonder in the distance is 




FROM SAMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JENIN 205 



white-robed Hermon. Looking off at our right 
is Abel-Meholah. The mere mention of this 
name calls up a long train of historic associa- 
tion. Abel-Meholah ! let us think of the name 
a little, as our horses slowly pick their steps 
over the often rough path along which we are 
journeying. Near this place Gideon defeated 
the Midianites, as we see in Judg. 7 : 22. This 
was the time when Gideon's brave three hundred 
blew their trumpets, broke their pitchers, held 
their lamps in their left hands, and shouted: 
"The sword of the Lord and of Gideon." The 
effect of these crashing sounds and reverberating 
shouts was tremendous. The noise of so many 
trumpets, the flashing of so many lights, and the 
crash of the broken pitchers, gave the Midianites 
an exaggerated idea of the numbers by whom 
they were beset. They supposed that the num- 
ber of Gideon's fighting men was in proportion 
to that of the trumpeters. Terrible was the 
slaughter on the one side and glorious the vic- 
tory on the other. This place was the birth- 
place of Klisha, and here he was found at the 
plow by Elijah when returning up the valley 
from Horeb. 1 The word means u the meadow of 
the dance." To the borders of Abel-Meholah 
the routed, panic-stricken Midianites fled, utter- 
ing the wild cries peculiar to their race. Nearer 
the usual route of travelers is Ophrah. This 
town was in the tribe of Manasseh. Here 
Gideon continued to reside after he had deliv- 



I Kings 19 : 16. 



2o6 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ered Israel from the Midianites. Here too, his 
ephod was established and became a snare to 
Israel. This ephod was adorned with the spoils 
of Zebah and Zalmunna, and became an object 
of superstitious worship. There is, however, 
some difficulty in fixing with certainty on this 
site. 

Dothan — "Two WEU.S. " — We have now 
traveled about eight miles directly north of the 
city of Samaria ; we are also on the border of 
the territory of that name, and we arrive at the 
ruins of Dothan. We are close to the great 
camel route between Egypt and Damascus. We 
are, also, as Doctor Fish reminds us, "at the 
gateway of the Carmel range of mountains in 
the plain of Esdraelon." Dothan, or Dothaim, 
is a place of great interest. It is on the caravan 
route from Syria to Egypt, fifteen miles north of 
Shechem. and four to five miles southwest of 
En-gannim, now Jenin. It is now uninhabited ; 
but its ruins on a hill on the south edge of a 
fertile plain still bear the name Dothan. The 
word means "the two wells"; and two copious 
wells or fountains are found to this day at the 
foot of the hill. One of them at least is very 
old, and was probably there in the time of Jo- 
seph. To Dothan Joseph came seeking his 
brethren who had wandered thither with their 
flocks from Shechem. 1 When his brethren saw 
him afar off they conspired against him, saying : 



1 Gen. 37 : 17. 



FROM SAMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JENIN 207 



"Behold, this dreamer cometh." These brothers 
were of the spirit of Cain, who slew his brother, 
and have left a name of infamy to all generations 
of mankind. Nine men here conspire to kill a 
brother of the most amiable qualities, who ten- 
derly loved them, and who was in the very act of 
showing his love when their anger blazed out 
against himself. Reuben did not wish them to 
shed blood, but suggested that they cast Joseph 
into a pit. There are many deep pits or dry 
wells here still. The old story becomes wonder- 
fully real when one is on the ground. We know 
that in the Orient empty cisterns, often with 
mud at the bottom, have long been used as 
prisons. The sons of Jacob, no doubt, came 
north from Shechem on the road which we 
traveled. They came a long distance, from 
Hebron in the south, to find w^ater and grass in 
this place. It is still a place of excellent pastur- 
age. Their father said to Joseph, in his anxiety 
for their good, "Do not thy brethren feed the 
flock in Shechem?" "Go and see whether it 
be well with them, and bring me word again." 1 
Of! started Joseph. The distance for that coun- 
try was far — about seventy miles. Wandering 
in the fields at Shechem a man found Joseph 
and^ asked, " What seekest thou ? " Joseph told 
him that he sought his brothers. The man then 
said that he had heard them say, "Let us go to 
Dothan," 2 and on went Joseph in the kindness 
of his heart to show favor to his brothers. 



1 Gen. 37 : 13. 



3 Gen. 37 : 17. 



2o8 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



We have already noticed the reception they 
gave him. They have now a fine opportunity, 
as they are so far away from their father, to get 
rid of this hated son. Their father showed an 
unwise fondness for Joseph in giving him his 
long white robe. That robe too, implying that 
its wearer was not to be an ordinary worker, had 
something to do with Joseph's dreams of his 
future greatness. Joseph's "coat of many col- 
ors" was not a coat of many colors. This coat 
has a powerful hold on the imagination. One 
hesitates to disturb this popular idea. We all 
may have thought that it was a very foolish thing 
in Jacob to dress up Joseph in this peacock style. 
We have all conceived of this coat as blending 
various hues, such as are seen in imperial robes 
woven in Indian looms. Dr. Samuel Cox has 
effectively disposed of this gaudy coat. He has 
shown that the Hebrew words simply mean " a 
tunic reaching to the extremities." It may have 
had a stripe of color on the edge of the skirt or 
sleeves, but nothing more. It was a robe which 
indicated that in the opinion of Jacob there was 
to be no hard work done by Joseph. This was 
the robe of the learned and leisure class. Joseph 
was to live softly and to be guarded against hard 
work and rough weather. The other brothers 
must wear short garments, fitted for daily toil ; 
but not so in the case of Joseph. It was this 
fact which aroused the murderous jealousy of 
his brothers. In giving Joseph this long white 
tunic Jacob grievously erred. This robe also 
may have intimated that his father wished to 



FROM SAMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JENIN 209 



endow him with the rights of primogeniture in 
place of Reuben, who had forfeited them. But 
the conduct of the sons was still Satanic in its 
cruelty. At Reuben's suggestion they caught 
Joseph, stripped him of his fine garment, and 
threw him into a pit, intending to leave him 
there to starve. Just then a company of traders 
in spicery, balm, and myrrh were seen coming 
w T ith their camels ; they were on their way from 
Gilead to Egypt. Near here we met a similar 
company. Often along this road caravans are 
seen with mules, asses, and camels laden, on 
their way from Damascus to Egypt. A new 
idea takes possession of the brethren of Joseph, 
and they draw him from the pit and sell him to 
these Ishmaelites, for twenty pieces of silver, the 
price of a slave. We see how wonderfully God 
overruled this event for the good of nations and 
for the glory of his own great name. Joseph 
goes from the prison to be the grand vizier of 
Egypt- God through Joseph saved countless 
lives. Our mind, as we recalled these events, 
went away to the heart-broken father ; and 
tender sympathy went out to beloved Joseph, 
going off in his sorrow as a slave to Egypt — 
going off to be near Egypt's throne and to be- 
come immortal in the world's history. 

Elisha at Dothax. — Here Elisha tarried 
when Ben-hadad was marching to Samaria. 
Ben-hadad feared that there was an enemy in his 
camp. He demanded to know who the traitor 
was. All his best-laid plans were discovered ; 

o 



2IO SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



he was utterly baffled. It was then told him 
that there was no traitor in the camp, but that 
the prophet of God knew all his movements and 
gave information to the king of Israel. Then 
Ben-hadad, the Syrian leader, determined to 
seize Elisha. Silently during the night his 
hosts went to compass the city of Dothan, and 
in the morning they had so invested it with 
horses and chariots that the escape of Elisha 
seemed to be impossible. The servant of Elisha 
was overwhelmed with despair and cried out : 
"Alas, my master! how shall we do?" 1 But 
Elisha calmly said to him : " Fear not ; for they 
that be with us are more than they that be with 
them." 2 He then prayed thus: "Lord, I pray 
thee, open his eyes, that he may see " ; and we 
read that "the Lord opened the eyes of the 
young man ; and he saw : and, behold, the moun- 
tain was full of horses and chariots of fire round 
about Elisha." 3 And this was probably the 
mountain on which we are standing. We read 
further that the Syrians were smitten with 
blindness and were led into Samaria. 4 How 
real that old and stirring story became as we 
stood on the spot made so wonderful by the 
presence and power of God ! 

Jenin, the En-gannim of Scripture, is our 
place of rest for the night. Leaving Dothan 
we pass over a slippery descent into the valley ; 
then we go through a narrow glen, once famous 
as a stronghold of robbers, and soon the well 



1 2 Kings 6 : 15. 2 2 Kings 6 : 16. 3 2 Kings 6 : 17. 
* 2 Kings 6 : 18. 



FROM SAMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JKNIN 211 



watered, beautifully situated, and prosperous 
town of Jenin is reached. The name En-gannim 
means " Fountain of Gardens." It was a town 
on the border of Issachar, and was given to 
Gershonite Invites. 1 Josephus speaks of the 
town under the name of Ginea and as one of the 
boundaries between Galilee and Samaria. It is 
a place of gardens to-day. A large fountain, 
whose waters form a brook, makes the village 
green and prosperous. It contains about three 
thousand inhabitants, in perhaps three hundred 
houses. Olive trees, palm trees, prickly-pear 
hedges, and rich gardens characterize the place. 
There is a good-sized mosque, which perhaps 
was once a Christian church. We went into the 
town at a brisk trot, starting up the idlers about 
the fine spring, rousing the dogs, and attracting 
the attention of the people generally. 

Here on the borders of the plain of Bsdraelon, 
the battlefield of the nations, we were to pass 
the night, and the next morning a long-cherished 
desire — seeing the plain of Bsdraelon — would 
be gratified. 

Samaria has already suggested to us remark- 
able fulfillments of prophecy. Dothan gives us 
a wonderful example of the saving power of 
God. Never was there greater folly than that 
of Joseph's brethren in their desire to gratify 
their own wicked desires and to overthrow the 
purposes of God. God made their acts con- 
tribute directly to the accomplishment of his 



1 Josh. 19 : 21-29. 



212 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



plans. Joseph was to rule over his brethren ; 
Joseph did rule over his brethren. He saw in 
his dream these brethren bowing down before 
him ; he saw in his experience in Egypt these 
brethren actually so bowing. The great Greek 
dramatists have illustrated in striking forms the 
impossibility on the part of men of thwarting 
the purposes of God. This is the philosophy 
and theology which underlie their greatest dra- 
matic tragedies. It is a truth everywhere taught 
in the Bible ; it is a truth everywhere taught in 
human history. God's hand is as truly in the 
history of to-day as it was in the history of 
Joseph. His hand is behind the loom, guiding 
its movements and directing the pattern in its 
web. With L,owell we can say : 

Behind the dim unknown 
Standeth God within the shadow, 
Keeping watch above his own. 

We must not for a moment eliminate God from 
modern history. These great truths, however, 
do not relieve men from the responsibility of 
their own acts. Divine sovereignty is not more 
certain than is human freedom ; but God's 
sovereign purpose in no way excuses our wrong- 
ful acts or relieves us from the duty of always 
doing right. 

Dothan is voiceful also concerning the value 
of Elisha's faith and the folly of fear on the 
part of Elisha's servant. God to-day reveals his 
secrets to his people. The secret of the Lord is 
with them that fear him. We sometimes think 



FROM SAMARIA TO DOTHAN AND JKNIN 213 



that all the forces of the universe are material 
forces. These we see, hear, and feel ; but the 
mightiest forces are those that are unseen and 
unheard. There are moral forces sweeping 
through the universe ; they are silent as the 
falling dew, but mighty as the storm. These 
forces are trackless, but resistless as the laws of 
gravitation. Men do not so much need fuller 
proof of the existence of God and of eternal 
things as they need better eyes. They do not 
need greater light so much as they need clearer 
vision. The light of revelation may be brighter 
than the sun at noonday, but men will not see it 
if they persist in dwelling in the dark cellar of 
spiritual unbelief and of gross materialism. It 
was not necessary that God should put the 
horses and chariots round about the hill in order 
to give assurance of protection to Elisha's serv- 
ant. The horses and chariots were already 
there. This servant simply needed to have his 
eyes opened that he might see them. Thou- 
sands of young men need to-day to have their 
eyes opened that they may believe in the reality 
of spiritual things. Round about us are ten 
thousand spiritual forces mightier than all the 
material forces known to science. The silent 
forces are always the mightiest. The sun lifts 
more water into the heavens during the silent 
hour of a summer's noon than all the noisy 
machinery of the earth could pump in many 
years. It is utterly unscientific to deny the ex- 
istence of spiritual realities. They are as sus- 
ceptible of proof within their own sphere as are 



214 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



the material forces within their sphere. Round 
about us are ministering spirits sent forth to 
minister to the heirs of salvation. Above us is 
the great God. The pure in heart can and do 
see him, and heart purity is the essential con- 
dition of this beatific vision. Only those who 
see the Invisible can do the impossible. The 
hosts of God shall as truly protect the children 
of God to-day as they did Elisha and his serv- 
ant, and the enemies of God, in various provi- 
dential ways, shall become as blind and as 
powerless as did the Syrians when they were led 
in helpless darkness into Samaria. 



XX 



THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON 

'HIS plain occupies a conspicuous place in 



the topography of Palestine, and its place 
in the history of Israel is scarcely less conspicu- 
ous. Any description of Palestine which should 
omit a full reference to this plain would indeed 
be Hamlet with Hamlet left out. For thou- 
sands of years this great plain has been the 
highway of the nations, and for thousands of 
years it has been also the battlefield of the world. 
Perhaps there is no field on the globe where 
under so many different civilizations the clash of 
arms, the groans of the dying, and the shouts 
of the victorious have so often been heard ; per- 
haps no field which so often has been fattened 
by the blood of the slain. This plain is the 
map of Israel itish history. It has been the 
judgment field of many nations, and it gives its 
name to the last great battle between good and 
evil. Its history is the history of nations and 
centuries. Later I shall speak of these histori- 
cal matters more in detail. 

Name and Shape. — The word Esdraelon is 
merely the Hebrew word Jezreel in the form 
which the Greek language gives it. The plain 




2l6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



is sometimes called simply the valley of Jezreel, 
because of its relation to the old royal city of 
Jezreel which was situated on a spur of Mount 
Gilboa near the east side of the plain. It was 
called the valley of Megiddo, because of its re- 
lation to Megiddo, the old royal city of the 
Canaanites. Megiddo stood on its southern bor- 
der, and it was at Megiddo that Barak won his 
great victory and that Josiah received his death 
wound. Josephus called it simply the Great 
Plain. This name is given to the large expanse 
of level or undulating land lying between Jez- 
reel and Acre. It is from twelve to eighteen 
miles wide, and it extends from the Jordan to 
the Mediterranean Sea. It separates the moun- 
tain ranges of Carmel and Samaria from those 
of Galilee. The plain is nearly a triangle. Its 
base is on the east and extends from the town of 
Jenin to the foot of the hills below Nazareth, 
and is about sixteen miles long. The north side 
is formed by the hills of Galilee and is about 
thirteen miles ; the south side is formed by the 
Samaria range and is about eighteen to twenty 
miles long. The apex on the west opens through 
a narrow pass into the plain of Acre, the ancient 
Accho. The plain rises gradually from the 
Mediterranean about four hundred feet. The 
west part is level, but on the east it is more 
undulating, and is finally broken by Mount Gil- 
boa and Little Hermon into three valleys about 
two to three miles in width, and these valleys at 
length sink down into the valley of the Jordan. 
The middle of these valleys is properly the val- 



THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON 



217 



ley of Jezreel. The manner in which these 
three branches stretch eastward from the base of 
the plain has been well likened to the fingers 
from a hand. These fingers are divided by two 
gray ridges of mountains, one called Mount Gil- 
boa and the other Iyittle Hermon, or by the 
Arabs, Jebel el-Duhy. To the northwest the 
river Kishon traverses this great plain. In the 
spring it is green with grain of different kinds 
when properly cultivated ; but where it is neg- 
lected weeds grow in great profusion. Once it 
was well watered and famous for its fertility, but 
now there is a blight from which the whole land 
suffers. Here and there are knolls on whose 
sides olive trees grow. The soil naturally is ex- 
ceedingly rich, but the plain is almost unin- 
habited. A few small villages are seen on its 
borders, but its crops are insecure because of the 
depredations of roving Bedouins, who are as 
likely to rob the peasants of their crops as were 
the Midianites in the days of Gideon, and most 
of the soil now is in the hands of rich men in 
Damascus and Beirut, who are almost as hard 
on the peasants as were the Midianites in the 
early day and as are the Bedouins in our day. 
There is no small ownership. A few men living 
in different parts of the country, especially in 
the two cities named, farm out parts of the great 
plain. The blight of Turkish tyranny leaves 
much of it uncultivated and practically deserted. 
The highways are deserted and the villages have 
mostly ceased, but under proper cultivation great 
prosperity would be certain. 



2l8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Scripture Places. — Within single views a 
wonderful number of places mentioned in Scrip- 
ture cluster together. Doctor Fish calls atten- 
tion to the fact that standing at the opening of 
the plain we can see at the west Mount Carmel ; 
at the north the mountains of Zebulun, Naph- 
tali, and Issachar, including those back of Naza- 
reth ; at the east Mounts Tabor, Little Hermon, 
and Gilboa ; and we also see the sites of Jezreel, 
Bethshan, Shunem, Nain, Endor, Cana, and 
Nazareth, and still other places famous in the 
story of the Old Testament or the New. Think 
of all the history which in both Testaments 
gathers about these names ! Long had I wished 
to ride over this plain. Now this wish is grati- 
fied, and I am actually treading this historic 
soil. 

Battlefield of the World. — The valley 
of Megiddo, I have already remarked, is so 
called from the city of Megiddo, which stood 
on its southern border ; it was here also that 
Barak triumphed and that King Josiah received 
his death wound. It is not at all unlikely 
that the Apostle John, in describing in the 
book of Revelation the final conflict between 
the hosts of good and evil gathered to a plain 
called Ar-mageddon, which is just the Hebrew 
for the city of Megiddo, had this place in mind. 
This plain was the great battleground of Pales- 
tine, in a sense of the world. Its situation made 
it such. It was always the main passage of en- 
trance and exit for the nations whose methods 



THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON 2IO, 



of warfare limited them to the level country. 
Thus it became the arena of war between the 
lowlanders, who trusted in their chariots, and the 
highlanders, who fought most successfully on the 
heights. None of the battles which secured the 
conquest of the land for the Israelites were 
fought here. Most of them took place in the 
south. Most of the battles in Esdraelon were 
forced on the Israelites by invading armies. 
Israel won some great victories here, but the 
plain will always be associated in history with 
the defeat of Saul at Gilboa and of Josiah at 
Megiddo. These two defeats gave rise to the 
two saddest dirges in the literature of the Jewish 
people. On this plain have glittered the lances 
of the wild men of Moab. The soil has trem- 
bled under the horses' feet and under the 
chariots of the Pharaohs and the Ptolemies. 
Over it thundered Sennacherib ; over it marched 
in stately tread the phalanxes of Macedonia and 
Rome. Here Deborah and Barak encountered 
the forces of Sisera, and the battle which fol- 
lowed swept over most of the plain and dyed its 
waters and fattened its soil with blood. At the 
foot of the ridge where stood Jezreel Gideon 
achieved his great victory over the Amalekites 
and the Midianites. By the fountain near the 
same city the host of Israel under Saul en- 
camped before it was chased on the mountains 
of Gilboa. At Megiddo, as we have seen, Josiah 
was slain by the Egyptians under Pharaoh- 
necho. Across this plain Elijah ran sixteen 
miles from Carmel before the chariot of Ahab. 



220 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



At the foot of Tabor Vespasian fought against 
the Jews. Here the Crusaders and Saracens 
have slaughtered each other. 

It has been the chosen place of battles in the 
Holy Land from Nebuchadnezzar to Napoleon. 
Jews, Gentiles, Saracens, Egyptians, Persians, 
Druses, Turks, Arabs, Crusaders, and French- 
men, warriors of every nation under heaven 
have here fought in fierce battles. The most 
noted modern contest was that of 1799. The 
Turks with an army of twenty-five thousand 
(some say twenty-seven thousand) were utterly 
vanquished by the French, who with fifteen 
hundred (some authorities nearly double the 
number) men under Kleber fought for six hours 
and were finally succored by Napoleon, who 
came with six hundred men and dashed upon 
the foe with such terrible force as to scatter 
them like chaff before the wind. 

There is no such other plain in Palestine, 
historically or geographically. The language 
of Doctor Clarke, quoted in Smith's " Bible 
Dictionary," is not too strong to picture the 
wonderful scenes here enacted. He says : " War- 
riors out of every nation which is under heaven, 
have pitched their tents in the plain of Hsdraelon, 
and have beheld the various banners of their 
nations wet with the dews of Tabor and Her- 
mon." Napoleon is represented as having been 
profoundly moved with the memories of Christ, 
the Prince of Peace, as he rode past Tabor to 
engage in bloody battle on this historic plain. 
Of some of these stirring events I shall speak 



THE PLAIN OF ESDRAElyON 221 



more at length in connection with the places 
where they occurred. 

Other Characteristics of the Plain. — 
Its great richness is to be noted. Beautiful is 
the contrast between its greenness and the gray 
bleak crowns of Gilboa and the rugged ranges 
on the north and south. It was a frontier of the 
tribe of Zebulun, and in Deut. 33 : 18 we read: 
" Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out." It was 
also the special portion of Issachar, and we read : 
" And he saw that rest was good, and the land 
that it was pleasant ; and he bowed his shoulder 
to bear, and became a servant unto tribute." 
But its present desolation is equally observable. 
It is authoritatively said that " if we except the 
eastern branches, there is not a single inhabited 
village on its whole surface and not more than 
one-sixth of its soil is cultivated." Here the 
wandering Bedouin has his home. He dashes 
over its smooth turf on his fleet horse ; he 
plunders peasants and tourists. He then hastens, 
when hard pressed, beyond the Jordan, carrying 
his tents, flocks, and herds with him, and the 
government is too weak to follow and punish 
him. The plain has always been greatly ex- 
posed. Over it rode the old Canaanites in their 
iron chariots, and before them the Israelites were 
powerless. To it came in the time of Gideon, as 
we have seen, the nomad Midianites and Amale- 
kites, those children of the East, who were " as 
grasshoppers for multitude " and whose camels 
were as the sands of the sea for numbers. 



222 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



While our friend Doctor Fish was at Megiddo 
some prowling Bedouins crept to his tent door 
and stole his trunk, which was near his head. 
The trunk was recovered, and a second time 
came the Bedouin prowlers, crawling on their 
hands and one foot, the other foot being cocked 
over their backs in imitation of the tails of dogs. 
The first qualification for greatness on the part 
of an Arab is expertness in stealing. It is said 
that the funeral services consist chiefly in a re- 
cital of the virtues of the deceased, and if it can 
be said of any dead Bedouin, " He was a good 
man ; he could steal by moonlight and in the 
dark," the highest encomium to his virtues is 
paid. We were not molested, but we saw the 
black tents of the Bedouins very often. 

Dr. George Adam Smith, in his recent volume, 
"The Historical Geography of the Holy Land," 
calls attention to the fact that there are five 
entrances to the plain of Esdraelon and that they 
are all visible from Jezreel. With these en- 
trances clearly in mind, we can readily see how 
well adapted this field was to be the arena of 
great battles. It is really a vast theatre, as Doc- 
tor Smith has suggested, with its clearly defined 
stage and with its proper exits and entrances. 
In the first battle Israel not only overcame a 
foreign tyrant but circumvented that tyrant in 
his purpose to prevent Israel's unity. The en- 
trances to the hill country of Israel were in the 
hands of the Canaanites, and the northern 
tribes, Zebulon and Naphtali, were cut off from 
their southern brethren. The very existence of 



THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON 223 



Israel was menaced. This fact was recognized 
both in the song of Deborah and in the prose 
accounts of the battle. Of this battle I shall 
have occasion to speak more fully later, but it 
is interesting to observe at this point how all 
the physical conditions contributed to the suc- 
cess of Israel at this critical time in her history. 
The plain, owing to the storm, was soon in a 
condition rendering it impossible for the chariots 
to move, and the horses plunged helplessly in 
the mire. These facts are brought out elo- 
quently in the song of Deborah. The highland 
footmen were masters of the situation. In this 
great victory Barak and Deborah were helped 
rather than hindered by the level ground. The 
Turks in 1799, when Kleber and Napoleon 
scattered their enormously superior numbers on 
this same field, fled in the same direction as did 
Sisera after his defeat. 

This great plain had a conspicuous place when 
Israel repelled the next invaders ; they were the 
Arabs of various terrible names from over the 
Jordan. Their battle was at the head of the 
long vale running down to Bethshan. We shall 
have occasion later to study Gideon's remark- 
ably wise tactics, and to observe the skill with 
which he selected his heroes and the success 
with which he followed up the flight of his foes. 
The campaign of the Philistines Against Saul, 
and also the other historical battles on this field, 
we cannot fully understand unless we have the 
characteristics of the field itself clearly in mind. 
God has made the configuration of this plain to 



224 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



contribute greatly to the triumph or defeat of his 
people. 

No one can travel over the great plain with- 
out having striking illustration of the truth of 
the record in all the accounts of the great 
battles fought on this field. Not more fully 
does Gettysburg illustrate the terrible fighting 
which was at once the high-water mark of the 
rebellion and its death knell than does the plain 
of Esdraelon illustrate the movements of the 
armies which have dyed its soil with blood, and 
whose victories or defeats have changed the 
history of nations. Palestine is an illustrated 
edition of the Bible. 



XXI 



ZERIX, THE AXCIEXT JEZREEL 
B started early from Jenin for our journey 



across the plain of Esdraelon. Soon 
the village of Taanach was pointed out on our 
left. This village consists of a mere handful of 
wretched houses, although once it was a royal 
city of the Canaanites. It is mentioned in Josh. 
12 : 21, and was one of the thirty-one cities con- 
quered by Joshua. It was in the territory of 
Issachar, but was assigned to Manasseh, and 
allotted to the Levites. In the war between the 
Canaanites and Israel it was a strong post of the 
Canaanites under Sisera, and seems to have been 
their headquarters. The town is mentioned in 
the triumphant song of Deborah, "The kings 
came and fought ; then fought the kings of 
Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo." 1 
We learn from i Kings 4 : 12 that it was one of 
Solomon's places of supplies. All that now re- 
mains of this old and famous town is the ruins 
on a hill on the southwest border of the plain 
of Esdraelon. 

About five miles farther on we reach Megiddo, 
now marked by an old khan or inn. Megiddo 
and Taanach are always mentioned together; 




ijudg. 5 : 19. 

p 



225 



226 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



they were evidently chief towns in the rich dis- 
trict which formed the western portion of the 
great plain of Esdraelon. Like Taanach, Me- 
giddo was a royal city of the Canaanites, and 
was also assigned to Manasseh, although the 
Canaanites long retained a foothold therein. It 
commanded a pass from the plain on the north 
to the hill country of Samaria. It has been 
identified with a place now called Leijun, which 
is supposed to be the Legio of the Romans. It 
was here that King Ahaziah died ; it was here 
that King Josiah was defeated and slain, and 
afterward sorely lamented by the nation, 1 as it 
realized therein the death-blow to its hope. It 
was easy to see here how the hosts of Deborah 
and Barak on the one side, and those of Sisera 
on the other, were drawn up and how the result 
of the battle was secured. On the summit of 
Tabor the hosts of Deborah and Barak were 
assembled ; those of Sisera in the plain of Me- 
giddo between this place and Taanach. Debo- 
rah gave the signal for battle and Barak rushed 
down. The stars fought against Sisera ; the 
rains fell in torrents ; the Kishon rose and ran 
furiously. It beat against the chariots and 
horses and they were swept away. Sisera sprang 
from his chariot, fled to the tent of Jael, and 
was finally slain by having the tent pin driven 
through his head. The whole course of the bat- 
tle is plain as one stands on the site of the 
ancient Megiddo. 



1 2 Kings 9 : 27 ; 23 : 29 ; 2 Chron. 35 : 22-25 J Zech. 12 : II. 



ZERIN, THE ANCIENT JEZREEL 227 



JEZREEL, " THE SOWING OF God." — We pass 
now under the bare mountains of Gilboa and 
soon we reach the modern Zerin, the ancient Jez- 
reel. This is now a wretched hamlet of some 
twenty houses. It is surrounded w T ith heaps of 
rubbish. Many holes may be discovered in 
which grain is hidden with the hope of putting 
it out of the reach of thievish Bedouins, as in 
the days of Gideon similar holes were used as 
storehouses to protect grain from the predatory 
Midianites. A superb view is ours here. The 
eyes takes in the plain of Esdraelon, as far as 
Carmel on the one side, and the valley of the 
Jordan on the other. What is known, in the 
limited sense, as the valley of Jezreel, lies to the 
north of Zerin. 

What memories crowd upon us here ! Here 
live again Ahab and Jezebel, Naboth and Eli- 
jah. Jezreel was the royal city of Ahab and of 
successive monarchs. Here stood his superb 
palace, but not a trace of it remains to-day. 
Here lived in royal splendor Jezebel, the Clytem- 
nestra, the Lady Macbeth of the Bible ; and 
from the window of the royal palace she was 
thrown to be devoured by dogs in the street. 
Here was enacted the story of Naboth and his 
vineyard ; and here, finally, the whole family of 
Ahab was put to death by the fierce, relentless, 
but providential Jehu. These events are so 
thrilling, and withal so instructive, that before 
we ride farther we must pause to recite the story 
more fully and learn the lessons it so impress- 
ively teaches. 



228 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



The name Zerin is really Jezreel, having 
simply passed through the changes incident to 
being dressed in different languages. The word 
means " God's sowing," a name derived from the 
richness of the soil in this plain. The word is 
rightly applied to the valley between Gilboa and 
Little Hermon, but in a more limited sense it is 
used of the city. The historical importance of 
the place dates from the reign of Ahab, who 
chose it as the place of one of his palaces. It 
was a kind of summer residence. Omri chose 
Samaria, and Baasha chose Tirzah, and Ahab 
divided his time between Samaria and Jezreel. 
The site shows the wisdom of choosing Jezreel. 
It rises gently out of the fertile plain of Esdra- 
elon, and was a place of great strength. There 
is on the northeast side a rocky descent of at 
least one hundred feet. The place was easily 
fortified, and in that day this was a most im- 
portant consideration. The place also enjoyed 
the advantages of a central locality ; it looked 
straight toward the wide west level and it com- 
manded a view toward the Jordan. On the east 
was the Jordan ; on the west Carmel. The lo- 
cation was simply superb. 

In or near Jezreel were a temple and grove of 
Astarte ; there was also an establishment of four 
hundred priests supported by and under the di- 
rection of Jezebel. On the east side of the city 
was the palace of Ahab ; here too, perhaps form- 
ing a part of the palace, was his "ivory house." 
The palace in which Jezebel lived was on the 
city wall and had a high window facing east- 



ZERIN, THE ANCIENT JEZREEL 229 



ward. There was also a watch-tower on which 
a sentinel stood to give notice of the coming of 
messengers, especially from the disturbed dis- 
tricts east of the Jordan. To this day among 
the hovels there is a square tower which may be 
the modern representative of that ancient " Mig- 
dol," or "tower in Jezreel." Adjoining the 
royal domain was the tract of land which be- 
longed by hereditary right to Naboth. 

When the house of Ahab fell the glory of 
Jezreel departed. No other king selected the 
place for his capital. The blight of God seemed 
to rest on the place. Terribly instructive are 
the silence and desolation of the place to-day. 
The glory truly is departed. Where is the 
splendor of Ahab's ivory palace ? Where is the 
glory of Jezebel's power? Elijah seems still to 
haunt the place as the incarnation of divine 
justice to punish the manifold weaknesses and 
wickednesses of Ahab and his fierce and cruel 
Jezebel. 

Ahab and Jezebel. — We may now fittingly 
look at this king and queen of the olden time. 
There never was a weak Ahab but that by his 
side there was a wicked Jezebel. Weakness is 
often virtually wickedness. Ahab was the 
seventh king of Israel and the son of King 
Omri, whom he succeeded 918 b. c. For twenty- 
two years, notwithstanding his many sins, he 
reigned over Israel. The story of his life is 
stained with crime. Jezebel, his wife, was the 
daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon. 



230 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



She was an ambitious and passionate idolatress. 
She spent her time and thought, with Ahab's 
co-operation, in the effort to establish idolatry 
in Samaria and to exterminate the worship and 
destroy the servants of God. The brave Oba- 
diah, at the risk of his own life, saved one hun- 
dred of the prophets of God. Four hundred 
and fifty prophets of Baal, under the direction 
of Ahab, perished at Mount Carmel at the word 
of Elijah, and then Jezebel sought to avenge 
herself on Elijah ; and, bold as he undoubtedly 
was, he ran with fear from her presence. Ahab 
longed for the plot of ground which belonged 
to Naboth. He whined like a spoiled child. 
Jezebel rebuked him. She would get it for him. 
She did secure it by perjuries and murders. 
What cared she for either? But with Naboth's 
vineyard she got also the hated presence of 
Elijah and the dreaded curse of God. We pay 
a high price for any pleasure when we give for 
it our sense of justice and the favor of God. 
Jezebel diffused the poison of her idolatry in 
Israel ; through her own influence and through 
her daughter Athaliah she sent the virus into 
Judah, and her son Jehoram perpetuated her 
evil influence in Israel. Her name has become 
a proverb for boldness and badness, for profli- 
gacy and malice. In Samaria Ahab erected a 
house of Baal, and set images of Baal and Ashto- 
reth. We read that he "did more to provoke 
the Lord to anger than all the kings that were 
born before him." As a punishment for his sin 
God visited the land with three years of drought 



ZERIN, THE ANCIENT JEZREEL 23 1 



and famine ; and then on that great day on 
Mount Carmel God destroyed the prophets of 
Baal and Ashtoreth. 

Ahab went on in sin. After the murder of 
Naboth Elijah denounced the punishment of 
God upon him. A little time passed. With 
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, he sought to regain 
Ramoth-Gilead from the Syrians. God warned 
him against the battle, but he defied God. He, 
however, took the precaution to disguise himself 
so that he might not be so conspicuous a mark 
for the archers of Ben-hadad. One of them 
" drew a bow at a venture " and slew him. For 
a time he was supported in his chariot, but 
toward evening he died and his army was dis- 
persed. He was brought to Samaria to be 
buried, and while his servant was washing his 
chariot the dogs licked up the blood of Ahab, as 
Elijah had predicted. 

The death of Jezebel was equally terrible. 
She was the evil spirit of his reign. Fourteen 
years passed after the death of Ahab. As 
queen-mother Jezebel was of great influence in 
the court of her sons. Jehu now advanced 
against Jezreel to overthrow the dynasty of 
Ahab. It was the supreme moment in the 
history of her house, and the spirit of the aged 
queen rose with the determination of despair to 
meet it. She was in the palace overlooking the 
approach from the east, and she saw Jehu driving 
furiously in his chariot. She painted her eye- 
lids and tired her head. Perhaps she thought 
she could fascinate Jehu ; perhaps she simply 



232 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



desired to appear in all the charms of regal 
splendor. She looked down on him from the 
high latticed window and taunted him with an 
allusion to a former act of treason. Jehu looked 
up at her and hurled at her words of defiance. 
u Throw her down," he shouted. Two or three 
servants obeyed his command and dashed their 
royal mistress down from her chamber. In front 
of Jehu's chariot she fell, and the blood from her 
mangled corpse dashed on the wall behind and 
on the horses in front. On went Jehu, and his 
chariot wheels and horses' hoofs crushed out 
whatever of life remained. The body was left 
where the offal from the cities was thrown. The 
dogs, packs of which may be seen to-day on the 
spot, pounced on this unexpected prey. Soon 
nothing was left but the skull, the soles of the 
feet, and the palms of the hands. Jehu's heart 
was touched and he said : " Go, see now this 
cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's 
daughter." Thus were the awful words of 
Elijah fulfilled : " In the portion of Jezreel 
shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the car- 
cass of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of 
the earth, so that they shall not say, this is 
Jezebel." 

It is easy for us to learn practical lessons from 
the history we have been studying. The weak- 
ness in Ahab's character was wickedness. He 
was merely Jezebel's puppet. He followed her 
guidance and became the victim of her superior 
strength and his own reprehensible weakness. 
A man must not be morally weak in the pres- 



ZKRIN, THE ANCIENT JEZREEL, 233 



ence of temptations on the one side and obliga- 
tions on the other. Adam could not excuse 
himself in the garden by weakly and cowardlike 
throwing the responsibility upon the woman. 
Adam's ungallant spirit in this respect showed 
the degrading influence of sin upon his more 
manly nature. Each man must bear the burden 
of his own responsibility, notwithstanding the 
share that others may have in tempting him to 
evil. 

We see also the evils of an unholy marriage. 
Ahab ought never to have married the daughter 
of Ethbaal. This unfortunate marriage was the 
turning point in his whole history. She was 
reckless, fierce, licentious, and idolatrous. She 
united religious fanaticism with a naturally un- 
governable temper. She was the evil genius of 
Ahab's dynasty ; she cared neither for God nor 
man. She showed her power over her weak 
husband when she determined to secure for him 
the vineyard of Naboth. One would think that 
the hand of death had come into the palace 
when he beholds the sorrow of Ahab because he 
could not have this plot of ground. He was the 
lordly possessor of palaces ; he was at the proud 
pinnacle of human ambition ; he had servants 
and soldiers to do his bidding, but he could not 
be satisfied until he secured possession of the 
hereditary vineyard of the Jezreelite. His 
conduct was positively contemptible. Strictly 
speaking, the soil of Israel was the property 
neither of Ahab nor Naboth, but of God. By 
the law of Moses Naboth was prohibited from 



234 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



parting with his paternal inheritance. Naboth, 
therefore, rejected Ahab's offer. He must obey 
God rather than man. We now see the evil of 
having this Clytemnestra or Lady Macbeth by 
the side of King Ahab. He had not the moral 
courage to perform the foul deed by which he 
hoped to gratify his selfish will. Jezebel would 
do it ; her queen-craft would be as successful as 
it was Satanic. 

Ahab and Jezebel were unevenly yoked to- 
gether. Her name was originally a beautiful 
name ; it is simply our Isabella. It has the 
significance, in the matter of moral purity, of 
our name Agnes, but the wild license and the 
magical fascination of this woman has made her 
name the synonym of cruelty, idolatry, and mur- 
der. Just as the word Jesuit, so suggestive of all 
that is deceitful and much that is abominable, 
comes from the sweet and holy name Jesus, so 
Jezebel is the chaste and beautiful name Isa- 
bella. Long afterward the name lived as a by- 
word for all that was execrable in conduct. 
This is strikingly illustrated by the use of the 
word in the book of Revelation. 

We see also the certainty that God will punish 
sin. Neither Ahab nor Jezebel could escape. 
Sin seems to be a slight matter until it is com- 
mitted, then it appears in its true character as 
exceeding sinful. When men have committed 
the crime even Satan seems to burn the sense 
of its iniquity into the soul of his own victim. 
Let us trust Him who alone can cleanse from sin 
and give us the victory over every temptation. 



\ 



XXII 



FOUNTAIN OF GIDEON 

WE might go directly across the valley to 
Shunem, but by making a short detour 
to the east, we may visit the fountain of Jezreel, 
or as it is sometimes called, the fountain of 
Gideon. The water is clear as crystal. It issues 
from a rocky cavern and flows off in a goodly 
stream. Few places are suggestive of more 
thrilling memories. Here the stirring events 
recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of the 
book of Judges live and move again before us. 
Here it was that Gideon encamped against the 
Midianites ; here that the three hundred picked 
men lapped the water, and of these men God 
had said : " By the three hundred men that 
lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midian- 
ites into thine hand." Let us look at these re- 
markable events ; they will well repay our care- 
ful study. 

Brave, dashing, and victorious were the sol- 
diers of the heroic Gideon. They are worthy of 
immortality ; and they have been immortalized 
on the page of sacred story. They lose noth- 
ing of their grandeur and glory even when com- 
pared with the " noble six hundred " who rode 
into "the jaws of death," u into the mouth of 

235 



236 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



hell," and whose praise is chanted in immortal 
verse by the laureate Tennyson. In giving 
praise to Gideon and " glory to the Lord of 
hosts, from whom all glories are," we desire to 
detract nothing from the illustrious three hun- 
dred, whose heroic and patriotic piety gave them 
a unique place not only in the Bible, but in the 
history of brave men of every century and every 
clime. 

The Country Devastated. — In order right- 
ly to understand the events recorded in connec- 
tion with the bravery and victory of Gideon we 
must have clearly in our minds the condition of 
the country at the time. Earlier in this history 
we have the account of the defeat of Sisera. 
That defeat marked the failure of the last at- 
tempt by the old inhabitants to overthrow the 
people of God. Now, however, enemies from 
new quarters afflict the children of Israel. They 
are the Midianites and the Amalekites. The 
Midianites had gradually spread northward from 
the peninsula of Sinai, and the Amalekites were 
the old enemies of Israel whom they had fought 
at Rephidim. These two peoples had now 
joined their interests with some other tribes, 
known under the general title of " the children 
of the East," in order to overthrow Israel. They 
were accustomed to make incursions at harvest 
time, when they carried off flocks and destroyed 
the harvests, after the manner of the Bedouin 
Arabs of the present day. The Israelites were 
reduced to the sorest distress ; many of them 



FOUNTAIN OF GIDEON 



237 



were obliged to dwell in the mountains, in caves, 
and in strongholds. They did not dare to reside 
in the open country, but were obliged to find 
protection in these retired places and hidden 
caverns. Frequently still, whole neighborhoods 
are exposed to these ravages, and as a result 
whole villages have disappeared from the face of 
the earth. The peasants prefer to climb to a 
safe retreat in the hills where attacks are not 
easily made, rather than take the risk of living 
in the open fields. In Gideon's time these raids 
were on an especially gigantic scale. Cruel as is 
war always and everywhere, it was especially so 
in the midst of the terrible sufferings inflicted 
upon the helpless Israelites. Two chiefs, having 
the title of kings, are especially brought to our 
notice, Zebah, the " man-killer," and Zalmunna, 
" the pitiless." Their names indicate the power 
they exercised and the terror they inspired. 
There were two inferior chiefs, named Oreb, 
" the raven," and Zeeb, " the wolf " ; these latter 
bore the title of " princes." These four chiefs led 
their wild followers in battle array against the de- 
fenseless inhabitants. The picture of their army 
given in the narrative is striking and startling. 
They are represented as appearing like the Arab 
chiefs of modern days arrayed in gorgeous scarlet 
robes, while on their necks and the necks of 
their camels there were gold chains and crescent- 
shaped ornaments. All their women were dressed 
with ear and nose rings of gold, together with 
many other jewels. This is the picture given us 
in this ancient record of the dashing and heart- 



238 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



less enemies of Israel, and of the sad condition 
of the people themselves. 

Gideon the Deliverer. — When the night 
is darkest, the morning is near ; when the knell 
of liberty is sounding, the deliverer is born. 
When the tale of bricks was doubled, then came 
Moses ; when Israel was in despair and her ene- 
mies in triumph, then came Gideon, heroic de- 
liverer and triumphant soldier of God. Our 
thought must be fixed upon him for a little as 
we study this interesting narrative. " Words 
are things," said the fiery Mirabeau in the wild 
French Assembly. This statement is true of 
Gideon's name. It means "feller," u hewer," or 
"destroyer." He was chosen of God for his 
noble mission. Amid the poor, or at least weak, 
clans of western Manasseh, was that descended 
from Abi-ezer ; but among these households that 
of Joash held a prominent place. All his sons 
were brave and noble, " each like the son of a 
king." All except the youngest son, Gideon, 
had fallen on Mount Tabor in the many fights 
with the fierce Midianites. Unexpectedly did 
this great champion of Israel arise in the mid- 
night hour of Israel's hope. Already he was 
known both to the Israelites and to their ene- 
mies as a mighty hero. The " tree-feller " was 
also a " man-feller" ; and many a Midianite had 
already felt the strength of the arm of this 
" mighty man of valor." His home and fields 
were at Ophrah, and here the invaders encoun- 
tered his strong arm and brave household. He 



FOUNTAIN OK GIDEON 



239 



was modestly at work, like many other truly 
great men, when he received his call to higher 
duties and nobler endeavors. 

Gideon was threshing wheat with a flail in the 
winepress in order that he might the better con- 
ceal the grain from the tyrants. In the wine- 
press he would be less exposed to the notice of 
the invaders, and the flail falling on the grain 
placed perhaps on the ground itself would make 
less noise than if it were on a boarded floor. 
There would be danger that the enemies might 
hear the bellowing of the oxen, if they had been 
used to thresh the grain. The angel of the 
Lord immediately said to him, " Jehovah is with 
thee, thou mighty man of valor." This address 
seemed not only startling but ironical to Gideon, 
when he considered the depressed state of his 
people. He therefore replied, "O my Lord, if 
Jehovah be with us, why then is all this evil be- 
fallen us ? and where be all his miracles which 
our fathers told us of, saying : Did not Jehovah 
bring us up from Egypt ? but now Jehovah has 
forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of 
the Midianites." We can well understand how 
Gideon came to speak in a tone so despondent. 
The answer came : " Go in this thy might, and 
thou shalt save Israel from the hands of the 
Midianites. Have not I sent thee?" Gideon 
still expressed his doubt ; but he was met with 
this divine promise : " Surely I will be with 
thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one 
man." The assurance that God is with him is 
all that he needs. A miracle finally entirely re- 



240 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



moved his distrust, and inspired his heart with 
hope and assured him of God's presence and 
help in all his undertakings. This miracle is in 
itself deeply interesting. Gideon at once under- 
took to present the angel with a kid and un- 
leavened cakes. These he laid upon the rock, 
and the supernatural visitor touched the offer- 
ings with the tip of his staff, and immediately a 
fire arose out of the rock and consumed them ; 
and thus the meal immediately became a sacri- 
fice. The angel then departed and Gideon was 
filled with holy awe because he had seen an 
angel of the Lord face to face. The heavenly 
visitant gave him a word of benediction, and 
Gideon built an altar, calling it Jehovah-shalom. 

A new era dawned upon Gideon and the peo- 
ple of God. Striking is the language employed 
to describe Gideon's preparation for this heroic 
and patriotic service ; we are told that the Spirit 
of Jehovah clothed him. This statement means 
that he was filled fully, possessed entirely, by the 
Spirit of God. Being thus clothed "he waxed 
valiant in fight," and was thus enabled to " turn 
to flight the armies of the aliens." When the 
Spirit of God comes in abundant measure upon 
men they are able to perform heroic deeds, and 
to achieve sublime results. We are not now sur- 
prised to read that Gideon blew the war trumpet 
through his own clan of Abi-ezer, and also that 
messengers were sent through the northern tribes 
and they joyfully obeyed the patriotic summons. 
All was now ready for a great deliverance ; but 
Gideon felt the need of a divine token to assure 



FOUNTAIN OF GIDEON 241 

him of God's presence and blessing. God con- 
descended to strengthen his faith by a double 
sign, the wet fleece and the dry, of the divine 
presence. One wonders at Gideon's demand 
that God should give him this token ; his con- 
duct seems presumptuous, after God had given a 
definite promise ; but in passing judgment upon 
this demand of Gideon we must have constantly 
in view the necessities of his position. We now 
see the gathering of the clans, we hear the blast 
of the trumpets, and we are ready for the ap- 
proaching clash of arms. 

Gideon's career was a campaign rather than a 
battle, a campaign which divides itself into three 
parts. No fewer than thirty-two thousand men I 
answered Gideon's call. He, however, pro- 
claimed through the host that all who were 
faint-hearted were free to depart and to our 
astonishment, and, as we might well suppose, 
to his dismay, no fewer than twenty-two thou- ; 
sand withdrew. But even the ten thousand 
still remaining were too many. A strange 
method did Gideon employ to test the spirit of 
his soldiers. Here was a "copious spring, the 
spring of Trembling," flowing through the basin 
from under a huge rock, forming a pool of pure 
water, and to it his soldiers were brought that he 
might once more test their wisdom and their 
self-restraint. Only those who lapped the water 
with their hands, as men do who are in haste, 
were considered worthy to be retained in the 
army, and all those who lay down and leisurely 
drank were excluded. Dr. Smith, to whom I 



242 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



have several times alluded, gives a somewhat 
new interpretation of the conduct of these men, 
and of the significance of the act of lapping. 
After calling attention to the well of Harod, as 
being some fifteen feet broad and two feet deep, 
and as sending forth a stream sufficient to work 
several mills, he goes on to say that the enemy 
might have been hidden in the reeds and shrubs 
standing around the spring, as they afforded 
ample cover for hostile ambushes. The soldiers, 
therefore, who bowed themselves leisurely on 
their knees to drink were in that attitude ex- 
posed to the enemy who might be waiting in 
ambush. This act of these soldiers showed that 
they did not appreciate the possible position of 
their foe, or their own possible danger. But the 
brave three hundred, who merely stooped and 
then lapped up the water with one hand, holding 
their weapons in the other hand and keeping 
their face to the foe, showed that they had clear 
heads as well as brave hearts, and were ready 
against all surprises of the enemy. He sums up 
this thought by suggesting that it was a test of 
the attitude toward the foe which it was most 
suitable for Gideon to make. He contemplated 
a night march and a sudden surprise ; he there- 
fore needed soldiers who could show common 
sense and exercise constant vigilance, as did the 
three hundred at the water. For only such 
caution would render his tactics successful. 

These two modes of drinking are still common 
in the Bast. Orientals become amazingly dex- 
terous in drinking by the use of the hands ; they 



FOUNTAIN OF GIDEON 



throw the water into the mouth before the hand 
is brought close to it, so that the hand brings a 
fresh supply before the preceding one has been 
swallowed. The original word for " lappeth," 
yalok, is precisely the sound which a dog makes 
in drinking. 

The entire number of soldiers was now re- 
duced to three hundred. Was Gideon to be 
pitied ? One might so affirm ; but God had 
said : " By the three hundred men that lapped 
will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into 
thine hand." God cares for quality more than 
quantity. When God makes bare his arm, a few 
men become mightier than many thousands 
without his immediate presence and benediction. 
Only a slight difference marked the conduct of 
the rejected and the accepted soldiers ; but that 
slight difference indicated an important distinc- 
tion between these two classes. We may expect 
that Gideon soon would achieve victories for 
God's Israel and for Israel's God. 

Encouragement from God. — At this criti- 
cal moment Gideon needed and received another 
encouragement from God. At this moment the 
Midianites and Amalekites, and all the children 
of the East, lay sleeping in the valley, like grass- 
hoppers for multitude ; and their camels, accord- 
ing to the Scripture narrative, were without 
number, as the sand by the seaside for multitude. 
How may Gideon attempt to overcome one hun- 
dred and twenty thousand of these dashing war- 
riors with three hundred men ? God recognizes 



244 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

the necessity of interposing for the encourage- 
ment of his noble servant. Yonder in the val- 
ley beneath sleep the hosts of Midian ; God com- 
mands Gideon to go down unto the host, taking 
his servant Phurah with him ; and God accom- 
panied the command by the promise that he had 
delivered Midian into Gideon's power. We now 
see Gideon and Phurah going stealthily down to 
the sleeping host. The darkness of night has 
come down alike upon the invaders and the in- 
vaded. Under cover of the night Gideon and 
his armor-bearer reach the outskirts of the tents ; 
deep silence reigns over the encampment. Like 
all Arabian armies, this army had no sentinels. 
One of the sleeping Arabs awakes ; a dream has 
startled him. He is telling that dream to one of 
his companions. How eagerly Gideon and 
Phurah listen. This dream meant much to 
Midian ; it will mean much to Israel. A thin 
and round cake of barley bread is seen rolling 
into the camp. Mysterious cake ! Marvelous 
dream ! And now the cake reaches the royal 
tent in the center of the encampment, and head- 
long the tent falls upon the ground. So spake 
the awakened Arab ; so heard the anxious and 
delighted Gideon. The Arab affirms that it 
meant nothing else save " the sword of Gideon, 
the son of Joash." Grateful Gideon, he bows 
himself in thankfulness to the ground, and then 
dashes off up the mountain-side with a glad 
heart ; he returns to his three companies at their 
posts. 

Near midnight the signal was given, and three 



FOUNTAIN OF GIDEON 



245 



hundred torches flashed out on the darkness of 
the night. Never were stillness and darkness 
more suddenly disturbed. Three hundred pitch- 
ers crash ; three hundred men shout until the 
midnight air resounds as if hundreds of thou- 
sands instead of three hundred soldiers were 
making an onset ! And the stirring war cry, 
" for Jehovah and for Gideon," breaks upon the 
stillness of the midnight air ! The Arabs break 
camp, rush hither and thither in the darkness 
and confusion, uttering the wild cries peculiar to 
their race. Every man drew his sword against 
his fellow. The vast multitude poured in hope- 
less confusion down the valley toward the ford 
of Jordan ; their aim was to cross the river at 
Bethabara, but Gideon would not permit them 
to escape. 

" Faint, ykt Pursuing." — We come to what 
was really a second battle ; for the Ephraimites 
were now aroused, and that great tribe seized 
the ford and cut off the fugitives. The two 
greater chiefs had crossed the river before the 
Ephraimites arrived, but Oreb and Zeeb, the 
lesser chiefs, were caught and slain. " Faint, 
yet pursuing," dashed Gideon and his brave 
three hundred after the retreating enemy. 

At Succoth and Penuel Gideon found halting- 
places. Although two battles had been won, a 
third must be fought and a third victory achieved. 
Gideon now followed the course of Zebah and 
Zalmunna, the two chiefs who had been over all 
the host, with flying steps, and pursued them in 



246 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



their rapid flight. Shall he overtake them? 
Shall the victories won be followed by another 
triumph? On, on, far into the desert rushed 
Gideon and his brave followers, and at dis- 
tant Karkor he overtook the flying Arab host. 
There the remnant of their army had encamped 
in fancied security. Gideon immediately resolved 
to surprise them by a rapid detour. In his plans 
he was eminently successful, and suddenly fail- 
ing upon them from the east, he utterly routed 
them, and by sunrise he was marching in triumph 
on his way back to the Jordan. Never was a 
victory more complete. The day of Midian, 
" with its confused noise, and its garments rolled 
in blood," remained ever after as the emblem of 
complete destruction of the foes of Israel. Not 
only Isaiah, but the author of the eighty-third 
Psalm speaks in stirring language of this great 
triumph. He represents the enemy driven over 
the uplands of Gilead like the chaff blown from 
the threshing-floor, and like the dry weeds before 
the fierce flames on the mountains. 

So magnificent was Gideon's triumph that he 
rose at once to the highest honors which the 
tribe could confer. It was their intention to 
crown him as king, but he was humble as heroic ; 
he was modest as brave. Few men could have 
been more fit for the honor of royal rank. His 
very appearance was kingly, but he earnestly re- 
fused the proffered crown. 

Lessons for To-day. — God gives us at times 
opportunities for doing great things for him. 



FOUNTAIN OF GIDEON 



247 



Happy are we when we recognize our oppor- 
tunity and discharge our obligation. Again, 
God can work with few as with many ; he re- 
gards character more than numbers. Unfortu- 
nately a small percentage in all our churches do 
the work ; but few are ready to respond to the 
blast of the trumpet for battle against the devil 
and all forms of evil. Many soldiers are heroic 
in sham battles and on parade day ; but when 
war really comes, thousands are faint-hearted, 
and other thousands are self-indulgent, and still 
others lack common sense. Many are skulking 
in the rear, some are sulking in their tents, 
while an undue proportion are in hospitals or 
in ambulances. If the test were applied to 
churches to-day, perhaps as great a proportion as 
in the army of Gideon would be unfit for battle. 

Once more the trumpet sounds, summoning us 
to the conflict. Hosts of Midianites and Amalek- 
ites in the form of social, political, and personal 
evils are all about us. Let us sound the cry, 
" For God and native land," and rouse ourselves 
for duty. Let us, here and now, consecrate our- 
selves afresh to Christ and to his church ; but 
let us determine to undertake nothing in our 
own strength. We are unable alone to cope 
with our terrible foes ; but let us shrink from no 
duty to which we are clearly called of God. 
God will permit us to test him with the fleece ; 
and God will give us encouragement by con- 
fessions of weakness from the foe, as Gideon was 
encouraged by the dream regarding the cake of 
barley bread. 



248 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



L,et us doubt nothing when God promises us 
his help. Forward, O church of the living God. 
Let us no longer sing, " hold the fort," but let 
us shout, "storm the fort." And let us, when 
the victory is won, take no glory to ourselves, 
but give it all unto God. God must strip us of 
pride that he may use us for work. May the 
God of Gideon be our God, our portion, our all, 
henceforth and for evermore. Amen. 



XXIII 



MOUNT G1XBOA AND ITS BATTLE 

MANY noted events occurred in this imme- 
diate vicinity. Indeed, we are in the 
very heart of historical facts of thrilling inter- 
est. They occupy a large place in the Bible 
narrative and in the writings of Bible expositors. 
The battle of Saul with the Philistines, because 
of the dramatic events themselves and because 
of the death of Saul and his three sons, and be- 
cause of the relation of the battle to the history 
of Israel, is worthy of a prominent place in our 
discussion of these places which now we are 
visiting. One can ride in a few hours to all the 
more prominent places mentioned in these dra- 
matic histories. 

Very nearly on the same ground as that on 
which the brave Gideon had gathered his armies, 
"strong in the Lord and in the power of his 
might," near the fountain of Jezreel, Saul 
pitched his camp. The Philistines were en- 
camped yonder at Shunem. The armies were 
in full sight of each other. The spirit of Saul 
sank within him ; his heart greatly trembled at 
the sight of the host of the Philistines. It was 
the great crisis in his life ; he had long been 
falling from God and from his earlier and nobler 

249 



250 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

self. The end was now near. The measure of 
his iniquity was almost full ; he was rushing 
rapidly to his terrible doom. One's heart grows 
tender as the contrast between Saul of the earlier 
day is made with Saul now standing on the edge 
of his fearful fate. 

Battle of Mount Gilboa. — The Israelites 
had long kept the Philistines under control ; but 
they were now restless and determined to strike 
a decisive blow. The Israelites were usually 
victorious in the hills. They were like the 
Highlanders of Scotland, well-nigh unconquer- 
able amid the fastnesses of the lofty hills and in- 
accessible rocks. So were certain of the Span- 
ish, or rather Gothic, people when Spain was 
invaded by the Moors ; so were the Basque 
people in Spain against all invaders. The Is- 
raelites were, as a rule, very unwilling to risk a 
battle with the Philistines on the plain ; there 
the Philistine chariots could move freely, and 
before their trained warriors, the Israelites when 
fighting in the plain had little chance of victory. 
This fact they knew well ; the Philistines knew 
it well also. The Philistines, therefore, deter- 
mined to gather all their strength and force a 
great battle in the historic plain of Esdraelon. 
Near the town of Shunem, on the southern slope 
of the range known as the hill of Moreh, they 
pitched their camp. On the rise of Mount Gil- 
boa, as already stated, and nearly opposite, was 
the army of Israel. Memories of noble Gideon 
encamped on nearly the same spot, may have 



MOUNT GILBOA AND ITS BATTLE 251 



been present to Saul and other leaders of the 
hosts of Israel. Perhaps, also, the name " spring 
of Harod," " spring of Trembling," may have 
seemed prophetic of evil ; at least this much 
seems to be implied when it said, as already 
quoted of Saul, " his heart trembled exceed- 
ingly." 

Saul's Evil Cask. — Once there was a de- 
cided break between Saul and Jonathan ; but 
Jonathan finally cast in his lot with his father 
when the great crisis in his history came. He 
was with his father in his decline, and " in death 
they were not divided." On the hills of Judah 
Saul and David parted. He no longer had 
Samuel with whom he might advise. Samuel 
was dead. David was estranged. God was dis- 
pleased. In former years the Spirit of the Lord 
had aroused Saul, but now that Spirit had de- 
parted. There was now no harp of the shepherd 
psalmist to drive away the spirit of brooding 
melancholy which was settling on his spirit. 
The Lord answered him not. No answer was 
vouchsafed in vision or dream. The Urim and 
Thummim gave out no message. He was alone 
in his camp. The Philistines were encamped 
yonder and near. Terrible fears filled his soul. 
Heaven and earth were silent. Suspense was 
unbearable. If he cannot get a voice from 
heaven, perhaps he can get one from hell. 

In a fit of religious zeal, and perhaps as an 
atonement for neglect of duty in other respects, 
he had put out of the land the wizards, necro- 



252 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



mancers, and familiar spirits. But now forsaken 
of God and of David, and Samuel being dead, 
he turned to the class of impostors who were 
supposed to be driven from the land by his own 
decree. His more intelligent religious zeal now 
became dark and desperate superstition. What 
shall he do in this fearful crisis? On yonder 
ridge the Philistines are encamped, and on the 
other side of the ridge was Endor, meaning, 
"the spring of Dor." There amid rocks on 
that wild mountain side dwelt a solitary woman. 
For some reason, family or perhaps political, 
she was spared when others of her class were 
banished. Three unknown guests now pressed 
their way to the weird abode of this strange 
woman. They made their way under cover of 
darkness. They were Saul and two attendants. 
The journey was perilous ; the night was dark. 
But it was darker in Saul's soul ; " the horror of 
great darkness " was upon him. 

Jewish tradition tells us that his companions 
were Abner and Amasa. They went to this 
woman to ask her to wake the dead Samuel from 
the world of shades. We can trace the road 
which they must have taken. They crossed the 
plain, went round the left flank of the enemy, 
climbed the ridge of Little Hermon, and then 
went down a somewhat steep descent to Endor, 
where the strange woman abode. Let us follow 
them, so far as the details in the sacred narra- 
tive will permit. We must confess that the 
account is not very distinct, but we see and hear 
enough to make the occasion weird indeed. See 



MOUNT GILBOA AND ITS BATTLE 253 



the three men approach ! Hear the shriek of 
surprise when the woman saw Samuel ! Behold 
the venerable figure rising from the earth. See 
the majesty, almost like a god's, in his appear- 
ance ! His head is veiled in his sacred mantle. 
His countenance is disquieted, his expression is 
threatening. Once Samuel and Saul met at a 
feast in Ramah, with joy and rejoicing. Then 
Saul was the chosen and goodly youth to whom 
"there was none like among the people." Now 
all is changed. Behold him now when he hears 
the prophet's judgment, as he fell and lay " the 
whole length of his gigantic stature upon the 
earth, and was sore afraid and there was no 
strength left in him." 

Terrible were the words which he heard. The 
proud and reckless, the anointed and yet the 
fallen Saul heard his death-knell echoing from 
the world of spirits. These were the fearful 
words which he heard : " To-morrow shalt thou 
and thy sons be with me ; the Lord also shall 
deliver the host of Israel into the hands of the 
Philistines." Terrible words are these ! See 
the three men with this awful news pressing 
their way back to the camp. How heavy a load 
Saul had in his heart ; how terrible must the 
rest of the night have been ! How he must 
have longed for and yet dreaded the breaking of 
the day ! The day dawned. The Philistines 
soon poured down the valley. Yes, I can clearly 
see, standing here, where they marched. The 
Bible account of the battle is broken ; we get 
only glimpses of the fearful day for doomed 



254 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Saul and smitten Israel. We can, however, 
almost see the showers of arrows from the Phil- 
istine archers. We can see the Philistine char- 
ioteers press the Israelites hard even up the 
mountain side. Finally the Israelites are forced 
up the slopes of Gilboa. Some of the fugitives 
are driven down the valley to the Jordan, but 
the fiercest fighting is on the heights of Gilboa. 
On the " high places of Gilboa," their own 
chosen fighting ground, " the pride of Israel was 
slain." The final conflict took place 11 on the 
green strip which breaks the slope of the moun- 
tain upland as it rises from the fertile plain." 

Listen to the clash of arms ! Hear the shouts 
of the victorious and the groans of the dying ! 
Where are Saul and his three sons during the 
fierce fight? See them emerge from the dark- 
ness of the remote time and the vague story. 
Read the words of Scripture : " And the battle 
went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him ; 
and he was sore wounded of the archers." Look 
again. His three sons have fallen before him. 
Oh, brave and beautiful Jonathan ! Saul's body 
is wounded ; his soul is in great darkness and de- 
spair. But on his head is the royal crown, and 
on his arm the royal bracelet. His shield is 
stained with blood, and is cast away as no longer 
needed. But in his hand is the huge spear. 
There is grandeur in Saul even now. He is 
smitten with death ; he seeks death, but he can- 
not at once die. If captured he will be made 
the sport and mock of the victorious Philistines. 
He begs his armor-bearer to thrust him through ; 



MOUNT GII,BOA AND ITS BATTLE 255 



but this last boon is denied him. Soon, stained 
with blood and wild with despair, he will be in the 
hands of his foes. This thought he cannot bear. 
He leans heavily on his spear. The dizziness 
and darkness of death are now coming on him. 
He fixed his sword in the blood-stained ground 
and with the energy of despair falls heavily upon 
it. A w T ild Amalekite, lured to the field in the 
hope of spoil, came up and completed the work 
begun by the arrows of the Philistines, and con- 
tinued by Saul's own sword. So perished Saul, 
the first king of Israel. The next day the corpses 
of Saul and his three sons w r ere found by the 
Philistines. 

David in his lament sang truly : " The beauty 
of Israel is slain in thy high places." The 
bitterness of defeat and death was all the 
greater because the Israelites were not slain on 
the hostile plain, but on their own familiar and 
beloved high places. Looking up at the barren 
brow T of Gilboa as we ride past it would seem as 
if David's words were predictive and had been 
fulfilled : " Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be 
no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor 
fields of offerings : for there the shield of the 
mighty is vilely cast aw r ay, the shield of Saul, 
as though he had not been anointed with oil." 1 

It is well-nigh impossible to exaggerate the 
defeat which Israel sustained. We have seen 
that Israel was driven back to Gilboa, pursued 
up the hills, and utterly routed. It was impos- 



1 2 Sam. I : 21. 



256 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



sible that it could have been otherwise. Saul 
was paralyzed by his sad forebodings and by the 
divination of the " mistress of the Ob." Al- 
though they fought bravely all day, defeat was 
as inevitable as it was terrible. We have seen 
that Saul would not flee, and that he would not 
allow himself to be taken. The flower of the 
youth of Israel lay dead, and the king's body- 
guard also was in the darkness of death on the 
slopes of Gilboa. There was joy unspeakable in 
the Philistine cities. All the Hebrew towns in 
the great plain of Ksdraelon were deserted of 
their population, and were occupied by the Phil- 
istines. They were masters of the whole cara- 
van route, to possess which they began the war. 
They might well give themselves up to rejoic- 
ing ; nothing could be more satisfactory to them 
than was the condition of Israel. The Philis- 
tines marched south and west and took posses- 
sion of all the towns, which they destroyed. 
They came to Gibeah, Saul's own mountain 
village, and their presence brought a new terror 
and another misfortune to the royal house. The 
Prince Mephibosheth was then a boy of five. 
He was on the shoulders of his nurse. She 
heard the report of the terrible defeat and of the 
approach of the dreaded Philistines. In her 
haste to seek a place of safety she stumbled and 
fell on the rocks. The unfortunate boy was 
thrown from her shoulder and he received a 
blow which resulted in the lameness of both his 
feet during his lifetime. He was then carried 
over the Jordan, and for long years was under 



MOUNT GILBOA AND ITS BATTLE 257 



the care of a Gileadite chieftain named Machir. 
He afterward received distinguished kindness 
from David for the sake of his father, the be- 
loved Jonathan. 

The Philistines, as we have seen, were now 
masters of the whole country. At Saul's corona- 
tion they owned but a small part of the terri- 
tory ; at Saul's death they practically owned it 
all. There seemed no possibility of resisting 
their firm possession and their long continuance 
in the land. We shall see how the men of 
Jabesh-gilead came across the Jordan, mindful of 
a former deliverance from Nahash by Saul, and 
took down his body from the wall of Bethshan 
and gave it honorable burial. We see here, as 
everywhere, how terrible it is to disobey God, 
and to incur his deserved punishment. As I 
rode along the valley and gazed upon Mount 
Gilboa, the memories of Saul, of his brave and 
heroic son Jonathan, and of his other sons, was 
vivid and instructive. Again I seemed to hear 
the pathetic and poetic words at the close of 
David's matchless elegy : " How are the mighty 
fallen in the midst of the battle ! O Jonathan, 
thou wast slain in thine high places. I am dis- 
tressed for thee, my brother Jonathan ; very pleas- 
ant hast thou been unto me : thy love to me was 
wonderful, passing the love of women. How are 
the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war per- 
ished ! " 



R 



XXIV 



SHUNEM — " DOUBLE RESTING-PLACE " 

WE have lingered for some time in trie vicin- 
ity of Jezreel. We now make our way 
across the plain to Shunem. After recent rains 
and in the spring-time the plain at this point is 
often very swampy. Soon we are at the little 
village of Sulem, the Shunem of Scripture. 
This is a town within the limits of the tribe of 
Issachar. This village is on the southwest slope 
of Jebel Duhy, " the hill of Moreh." It is six 
miles south of Tabor, and about three and a half 
north of Jezreel. It is surrounded by grain 
fields and fruit gardens. One can look westward 
across the plain to Carmel. It is a much tidier 
and more prosperous place than many which we 
have seen in Palestine. The villagers have 
gathered to the threshing-place of the neighbor- 
hood ; and the grain which has been threshed is 
piled up as we approach. There is an air of 
bustle and industry here seldom seen in this 
shiftless country. A thick hedge of the prickly- 
pear surrounds the village. There is an attrac- 
tive grove of orange, lemon, and citron trees ; 
and there are grassy hillocks, and through the 
grove flows from a spring a stream of delicious 
water. By this water we dismount and seat our- 
258 



SHUNEM — "DOUBLE RESTING-PL,ACE " 259 



selves on the ground beside the stream. It is 
approaching noonday, and the sun is hot. Some 
of the villagers, young and old, come out to look 
at us, and to earn, or at least get in some way, a 
little backsheesh from us. At eventide the vil- 
lage maidens come hither to draw water, and 
now they come to offer water to the travelers. 
It is a cool, shady, and pleasant spot to rest after 
our ride, and to think of the biblical scenes con- 
nected with the name of this comparatively in- 
dustrious and thriving village. We are now 
realizing the meaning of the name Shunem — 
"double resting-place." Sit with me by this 
stream, while we pluck a lemon and make and 
drink some lemonade ; enjoy the brook's music 
and the welcome shade, and take in the historical 
facts suggested by the name Shunem. 

It was here at Shunem that the Philistines 
had their encampment when Saul pitched his 
camp close by the fountain of Jezreel, and per- 
haps on the very ground where Gideon gathered 
his men. The armies of Saul and the Philistines 
were in full sight of each other. It was then 
that Saul became sore "afraid, and his heart 
greatly trembled." We have already seen the 
result of the fierce fight which ended in the death 
of Saul and his three sons, and in the defeat of 
the Israelites. 

Another and pleasanter incident is recalled — 
that of the Shunammite woman, the prophet 
Elisha, and the boy born and recovered to life 
through the intercession of God's prophet. This 
is a sweet, sad, natural, and beautiful story of 



26o SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



the olden time ; and all its elements are wonder- 
fully real as we study the natural scenery about 
Shunem. There is a restored house at Shunem 
which may be such as this " great woman " lived 
in. Examining this house we readily see how 
the (< chamber on the wall" was constructed. 
This house makes the present mud hovels seem 
all the more diminutive and unattractive. 

Shunem was on the road between Samaria 
and Carmel, and this was a road which Elisha 
had often to travel. In Shunem lived a woman 
who was known as a " great woman " ; her hus- 
band had a good estate and they lived in com- 
fort. It was impossible that a man of the name 
and fame of Elisha could pass and repass with- 
out attracting the notice of a family so prom- 
inent in the town ; and this pious matron de- 
sired him to dine at her home. Elisha was 
modest and humble, but finally he was induced 
to accept her invitation, and as often as he passed 
he enjoyed her generous hospitality. She con- 
sulted with her husband as to the desirability of 
giving this man of God a room in her house as 
well as a place at her table. She doubted not 
that they would be edified by his wholesome in- 
structions as well as by his godly example. 
Current report may have taught her how well 
the widow of Sarepta was rewarded for her kind- 
ness to the prophet Elijah. She seems to have 
had no spare room in her house, or at least none 
sufficiently private for a guest who spent pre- 
sumably much time in contemplation and in 
secret communion with God. She, therefore, 



SHUNEM — "DOUBLE RESTING-PLACE " 261 



had a little chamber constructed for him on the 
wall. 1 It was plainly furnished ; it had simply 
a bed, table, stool, and candlestick. But here he 
might find repose and opportunity for reading, 
thinking, writing, and praying. 

Elisha's gratitude for her kindness was great. 
He therefore urged Gehazi, his servant, to ascer- 
tain whether she wished to be spoken for to the 
king or the captain of the host for an office, civil 
or military, for her husband. But she had no 
petition to present, no complaint to make, no 
ambition to gratify. Her answer is full of quiet 
dignity, "I dwell among mine own people." 
Later, as we shall see, she had occasion to be 
spoken for to the king, but now she has no such 
request to make. But Gehazi calls the attention 
of Elisha to the fact that the music of a child's 
voice has not been heard in this home. Blessed 
in so many ways as this woman had been, this 
joy has not been experienced by this dwelling. 
If Elisha may not use his influence on her behalf 
in an earthly court, he can offer his prayers for 
her to the court of heaven. Soon she stands 
modestly in the presence of the prophet and 
learns that the birth of a son would in due time 
gladden her home. 2 

After the advent of the boy the prophet's wel- 
come must have been doubly warm. To Elisha 
this boy must have been very dear. Touching 
is the glimpse which we thus get into this home- 
life, so far removed from us both in time and 



1 2 Kings 4 : 8-10. 



2 2 Kings 4 : 16. 



262 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



space. Three years pass. The boy is grown 
sufficiently to go out with his father to the fields 
where the reapers are at work. The perils of 
the child's infancy are past, but not those of his 
boyhood. He is the joy of his father's and his 
mother's heart we may be sure. Great grain 
fields are still there near Shunem, lying on the 
south slope of Little Hermon. Here this very 
day as we rode up we saw little boys bareheaded, 
running about in these fields. To-day also the 
sun was hot ; so it was on the day when the son 
of the Shunammite woman had a sunstroke in the 
field where the reapers worked. We can almost 
hear his feeble, plaintive cry, 1 " My head, my 
head ! " We can see the perplexed, sorrowful, 
anxious, and helpless father, as he said to the 
attendant lad, " Carry him to his mother." The 
mother's arms and heart are the place for a sick 
boy or girl. Fathers can pity ; but mothers can 
comfort. God pity and comfort children who 
have no mother ! Thank God, he offers to us a 
father's pity and a mother's comfort. See this 
mother in the quietness and coolness of her home 
as she holds that sick boy in her lap until noon. 
What moments of anxiety are hers. The father 
seems to have had little conception of the seri- 
ous nature of the boy's illness ; he knew that 
" mother " would somehow help ; that the boy 
would probably fall asleep in her arms and 
awake refreshed and recovered. How she watches 
him ! How her heart heaves and almost breaks ! 



1 2 Kings 4 : 19. 



SHUNEM — " DOUBLE RESTING-PLACE " 263 



Can it be that this child, perhaps of their old 
age, this child of prayer, this child of such ten- 
der love, must die? Yes, he must sleep the 
sleep of death. The noon hour draws near ; his 
strength is failing. It is noon ; he is dead. Per- 
fectly well in the morning, he is dead at noon. 
This child of prayer, of promise, of love, is taken 
away ! How a few hours may change the whole 
course of one's life ! Draw the curtain for a 
moment over the scene and leave this mother 
alone with her dead boy. 

Her Application to the Prophet. — Glance 
again at the brave mother. Her conduct de- 
serves our approval. She utters no word of 
complaint under this terrible blow. It would 
seem as if she had a strong belief that this child 
should be raised to life. She is a true daughter 
of Abraham's faith. Did she know how Elijah 
had called back to life the son of the widow of 
Sarepta ? She makes no preparation for burial. 
God gave this boy once as if from the dead ; he 
can do so again. So she seems to have believed, 
and on that belief she acted. Observe her 
preparations. It was most fortunate that Blisha 
was at this time visiting at Mount Carmel, only 
about ten miles away. She laid the dead boy on 
the bed of the man of God, shut the door, and 
went out to lay her plans to communicate with 
the prophet. She is a beautifully self-controlled 
woman. She asks her husband's co-operation in 
her plan to visit Elisha. The husband, not 
knowing the cause of her desire to make the 



264 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



visit, objected. It was neither the new moon 
nor the Sabbath ; had it been either he would 
have seen cause for the proposed journey. 

See the preparations in the saddling of the 
fleet ass, and then the hasty journey across the 
plain of Esdraelon to Klisha at Carmel. We 
can easily picture the whole scene, after the lapse 
of these thousands of years. What an anxious 
journey, and yet what hope her strong faith gave 
her in the midst of her sorrow ! Blessed are 
they who can trust God when the darkness is 
deepest ! To them evermore there ariseth light 
even in the deepest sorrow. See the servant 
running by her side, and driving the ass at full 
speed across the plain ! 

Blisha sees her approaching and sends Gehazi 
to make kindly inquiries ; but it is not he she 
wishes to consult. She, therefore, puts him off 
with a general but a true answer. It was indeed 
well with her, with her husband, and with her 
child. Here is the answer of a sweet faith, a 
faith powerful to-day when our beloved ones die 
in the Lord. See her now at the prophet's feet ; 
see Gehazi attempting to thrust her away ! But 
Elisha knew that her soul was troubled. Listen 
to her recital of recent personal history regard- 
ing this child ! Hear her pathetic appeal ! See 
Elisha sending Gehazi with the prophet's staff 
to lay on the face of the child ! We listen to 
her determined declaration to the prophet : "As 
the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not 
leave thee." Elisha must go. How wonderful 
are the instincts, as well as the love, of the 



SHUNEM — "DOUBLE RESTING-PLACE" 265 



mother ! Now behold Elisha hurrying back 
over the plain. The servant meets him. The 
means have been used, but the. child still sleeps 
in death. 

Elisha Alone with the Dead. — See the 
prophet enter the silent chamber. 1 There is 
stillness throughout that home ; there is a min- 
gflmsr of sorrow and iov in that mother's heart. 
How still it is ! What is Elisha doing ? He 
prayed unto the Lord as probably did Elijah. 
Christ raised the dead to life by a word ; but 
Elijah and Elisha only after prayer and effort. 
Then he stretched himself on the child, his 
mouth to the child's mouth, his hands on the 
child's hands, communicating something of his 
vital warmth. This he did until the flesh of the 
child waxed warm. He put mouth to mouth as 
if in God's name he would breathe into him 
again the breath of life. Then he walked vio- 
lently to and fro to increase his own warmth ; 
then he stretched himself again on the child. 
Life is returning ; the child sneezed seven times ; 
then, God be praised, he opened his eyes. 2 
Think of the anxiety in the mother's heart ! 
Did she hear the sound of what was going on in 
the upper chamber? Joy awaits her. Hear 
Elisha tellinor Gehazi to call the mother ! She 
comes. Hear Elisha say: "Take up thy son." 
No wonder she bowed herself to the ground, took 
up her son and went out. Heaven w r as then in 
her soul. 



1 2 Kings 4 : 33. 



2 2 Kings 4 : 35. 



266 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Sorrow comes to the greatest houses as to the 
humblest homes. God had but one son without 
sin, but God did not have even one son without 
sorrow. Christ had to drink his bitter cup in 
Gethsemane and bear his cross toward Calvary. 
Gethsemane and Calvary lie evermore this side 
of Olivet. We may not expect God's people to 
be free from sorrow when God's divine Son had 
to bear earthly grief. 

But in all times of sorrow we can betake our- 
selves to God. It was a wonderful blessing to 
the woman of Shunem that the "man of God" 
should have made his home in her dwelling. It 
is worth much to us all to be in close touch with 
men of God. It is greatly wise in us to enter- 
tain God's servants, and often in our doing so we 
shall entertain angels unawares. The old-fash- 
ioned grace of hospitality is somewhat dying out 
in our city life. Some of us can look back to 
the visits of Christ's ministers in our quiet coun- 
try homes as times of a special family uplift, of 
intellectual inspiration, and of divine benedic- 
tion. The visit of Blisha to the home in Shu- 
nem was the bringing of a direct and marvelous 
blessing from God. 

The manner in which this miracle was per- 
formed teaches us that in helping men we must 
come into close touch with them. It is difficult 
to understand what was Blisha's thought in 
sending Gehazi with the staff. This act has 
been interpreted in many ways, but no satisfac- 
tory explanation is given. We know that Gehazi 
afterward proved to be covetous and false, and 



SHUNEM — "DOUBLE RESTING-PLACE" 267 



that he was finally punished by the infliction of 
a perpetual leprosy ; but perhaps the failure in 
this case was not due to any fault in the char- 
acter of Gehazi. It certainly is true now that if 
we are to bless men we must come close to them. 
One of the beautiful things recorded of Christ in 
connection with his miracle of healing the luna- 
tic child is that it is said, "Jesus took him by 
the hand, and lifted him up, and he arose." This 
sufferer was in a painfully sad condition ; many 
thought he was dead. The evil spirit had been 
commanded to leave him, but so fearful was the 
paroxysm that all the powers of the child's life 
were exhausted ; but the touch of the hand of 
Christ gave him life anew. Christians are the 
salt of the earth, and if salt is to manifest its pre- 
serving qualities it must be mingled with that 
which it is to preserve. It will not do to put the 
salt and the meat into separate barrels. We 
must still take men by the hand. Many are 
ready to give a check to help the poor, but they 
will not give their presence, their hand, and their 
word in the poor home. They are willing to use 
charitable societies as a slot machine, they put- 
ting in the money and the poor taking out the 
benefit in some form. But we need that the rich 
come close to the poor in bestowing their gifts. 

The greatest men, even prophets of God, are 
powerless without God. Elisha must wait and 
pray, and pray and wait, before life can return to 
the dead boy. This restoration is prophetic of 
the conversion of our children now to God, and 
of their final recovery to life from the grave and 



268 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



their eternal joy in heaven. This sweet instance 
is full of tender family suggestions and of im- 
portant spiritual significance. Long will the 
memories of the visit to Shunem abide. Sitting 
by one of its streams under the shadow of a tree, 
and thinking of its spiritual lessons, I realized 
the significance of the name Shunem — " double 
resting-place." 



XXV 



NAIN AND ITS WIDOW ; ENDOR AND ITS WITCH 

MOST refreshing was our halt at Shunem, 
with its beautiful grove, its musical and 
delicious streams, and its tender memories of 
Elisha and the family in which he found a hos- 
pitable welcome. We resumed our journey, and 
turning the western part of L,ittle Hermon, as 
this part of the mount has been called since the 
time of Jerome, and which is probably identical 
with the hill Moreh, we were in less than an 
hour at Nain. The word Nain, according to 
some, means green pasture ; but according to 
others, and with better reason, fair or graceful. 
The name is mentioned nowhere in the Old 
Testament and not elsewhere in the New. The 
name has always been preserved ; and it was 
often tenderly mentioned in the time of the 
crusaders, and the place is frequently visited by 
travelers of the present time. It is near Endor 
and about four miles southwest of Tabor. It is 
picturesquely situated on a low mountain spur, 
the northwest edge of Iyittle Hermon, where the 
hill descends into the plain of Esdraelon. It 
commands a fine view of the hills of Galilee. 
Once it was a town of considerable extent, but 
now it is a poor village of wretched mud huts 

269 



270 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



with heaps of rubbish and many old ruins. Its 
dwellings are few, only about twenty in number, 
and the population is correspondingly small. Its 
modern name, Nein, is identical with the ancient 
name, Nain. Its fountain has done much to per- 
petuate its existence. As the traveler approaches 
the village, he observes that above the town 
there are holes in the face of the hills ; these are, 
doubtless, rock tombs, and this was the old 
burial place. This fact gives remarkable inter- 
est to the tender, beautiful, and divine incident 
in our Lord's life which occurred here. That 
incident has made the place memorable forever ; 
and that incident is recorded with sweet sim- 
plicity and tender suggestion by the evangelist 
Luke, the only evangelist who does record this 
miracle. There is now no doubt as to the iden- 
tity of the location, with the tombs a short dis- 
tance east of the village. It was in this direc- 
tion that our Lord approached, and it was prob- 
ably to one of these tombs that the mournful 
procession, which he met at the gate of the town, 
was journeying with the bier on which lay the 
young man, who was "the only son of his 
mother, and she was a widow." 

Let us look for a little time at the account of 
the raising of the widow's son, as given in Luke 
7 : 11-15. Our Lord now was probably going 
to Jerusalem to keep the second Passover of his 
ministry. It was a beautiful coincidence that 
our Lord should have met the funeral procession 
as it was going out of the town ; and yet it was 
quite in harmony with the custom of the Jews 



NAIN AND WIDOW j ENDOR AND WITCH 271 



who did not bury within the walls of towns and 
cities. " Much people " followed the bier. The 
case called forth general sympathy. Dean Trench 
calls attention to the fact that sorrow for an only 
son has passed into a proverb. In Jer. 6 : 26 we 
read, " Make thee mourning as for an only son ; 
most bitter lamentations " ; and in Zech. 12 : 10, 
" They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for 
his only son." 

Her case instantly aroused our Lord's compas- 
sion. He said to her, "Weep not." She must 
have wondered at such words from a stranger ; 
but the tones of his voice and the glance of his 
eye must have revealed the pity of his heart. 
Christ's words are not empty exhortations. He 
can even now anticipate the time when God shall 
wipe away all tears from our eyes. Behold him 
arresting the progress of those who carried the 
bier. Hear his words, " Young man, I say unto 
thee, Arise." Then we read that "he that was 
dead sat up, and began to speak." 

There are three cases of raising from the dead 
in connection with our Lord's earthly life. It is 
as easy for Christ to raise up men from the bier 
as for us to arouse men from the bed. In the 
case of Elijah and Klisha, much labor and prayer 
must precede the miracle. Christ spoke the 
word and the miracle was wrought. Blessed 
moment was that when Christ delivered him to 
his mother ! Think of her joy ! This act was 
prophetic of the time when he shall deliver those 
who have fallen asleep in him to their beloved 
friends, and when fellowship shall be renewed 



272 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



and joy shall be universal and eternal. The 
effect on the people was marked. They experi- 
enced a degree of fear, they recognized that a 
great prophet had come, and they glorified God, 
saying that " God hath visited his people." 

Kndor, " Spring of Dor." — A ride of three- 
quarters of an hour from Nain brings us co 
Bndor. The word means "spring of Dor," or 
"home spring." The place, with its dependent 
towns, was within the territory of Issachar, and 
yet it was possessed by Manasseh. The town is 
mentioned in connection with the victory of 
Deborah and the death of Barak. 1 But it is 
chiefly memorable because it was the abode of 
the sorceress consulted by Saul in his dark des- 
pair on the eve of the fatal battle with the Philis- 
tines. Nowhere is the name mentioned in the 
New Testament. In the time of Kusebius and 
Jerome it still existed as a large village, and is 
spoken of as being four miles south of Mount 
Tabor. Its connection with the victories over 
Sisera and Jabin may be one reason which drew 
Saul to the place, when he was about to engage 
with an enemy as much hated and feared as were 
the Midianites over whom Gideon, Barak, and 
Deborah had won decisive victories. 

The rock on the slope of which Kndor stands 
is hollowed into caves, one of which may have 
been the abode of the witch and the place of the 
incantation. There is little to be seen here 



1 Ps. 83 : 10. 



NAIN AND WIDOW J ENDOR AND WITCH 273 



except the caves, and they are to all travelers the 
chief object of attraction. Perhaps this place 
was the scene of the death of Jabin and Sisera. 
One cave is roomy ; in it is a spring to which 
the women of to-day go to fill their pitchers. 
Its walls are old and the whole picture has a 
weird aspect. As the women came out of their 
huts or holes to gaze on us, it was easy to im- 
agine in some of them the features of the witch 
that has given this place its fame, a fame which 
will endure to all generations. There are here 
in all only a few squalid people living in mud 
huts or in the caves which abound in the vicin- 
ity. 

The Witch and the Apparition. — Saul's 
visit to this woman who had a familiar spirit, 
literally, "a mistress of the Ob," is represented 
as the crowning act of Saul's wickedness. He 
was in a state of despair. He had driven David 
from him, Samuel was dead, and God refused to 
answer by any of the ways in which he had for- 
merly made known his will. To consult with 
such a woman was an act forbidden by the 
divine law, 1 and that law Saul had recently en- 
forced. How shall this weird story of the olden 
time be explained ? 

As was to be expected, many explanations 
have been offered. Some have endeavored to 
resolve the whole narrative into a case of im- 
posture, and they make out a reasonably good 



1 Lev. 20 : 6. 



274 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



argument in support of that view. They say 
that Saul was naturally a weak and excitable 
man ; that he was subject to times of great de- 
pression amounting to melancholia, and verging 
on, if not passing oyer into, insanity. He was 
now in a state of great alarm. He commissioned 
his servants to seek out this woman ; he went to 
her by night, the time most favorable for mak- 
ing him the victim of an imposition. He saw 
the woman alone ; his servants may have agreed 
with the woman that one of them would person- 
ate Samuel. You will observe that Saul did not 
see, though he addressed, the spirit. The spirit 
told him nothing but what his own attendants 
could have told him, except that he would die 
to-morrow ; and the word translated to-morrow 
is very indefinite, often meaning simply the 
future. Her whole manner may have been part 
of her skillful imposition. The objection to this 
view is that the narrator not only represents the 
woman as affirming that she saw Samuel, but he 
himself states that she saw Samuel ; and also 
that Samuel spoke to Saul. 

Some have attempted to explain the story on 
the ground of ventriloquism ; but a similar ob- 
jection holds to this view as to the one just given. 
Others have supposed that the woman induced 
Satan to personate Samuel, but this view at- 
tributes to Satan a power inconsistent with the 
general representations of the Scripture regard- 
ing him. The devil would scarcely be engaged 
in reproving Saul for his impiety and open re- 
bellion against God. 



NAIN AND WIDOW ; ENDOR AND WITCH 275 



There is another view which seems reasonable 
in itself, and in harmony with other scriptural 
narratives. Might not the whole scene be actual, 
so far as the impression upon the mind alike of 
Saul and the woman is concerned ? May it not 
be a representation brought about, not by the 
magical arts of the woman, but by divine power, 
to warn, to rebuke, and to exhort Saul ? The 
narrative seems to imply that Samuel appeared 
before the woman had performed any of her rites, 
before she had practised her magical arts, before 
she had introduced her tricks of legerdemain and 
her skill as a juggler. So soon as Saul asked to 
have Samuel brought, Samuel was present to 
her vision. The appearance of Samuel seems to 
have been an event contrary to all her expecta- 
tions. She seemed to be as much surprised as 
was Saul when she told him. She learned also 
in the same unexpected way of the royal dignity 
of her nocturnal visitor. God seems to have in- 
terposed before the woman used her arts. Thus 
God interposed to overrule the mind of Balaam, 
so that he was obliged to bless those whom 
Balak, the king of the Moabites, wished him to 
curse. There are other instances in Scripture 
of the same general method adopted by God. 
As God can make the wrath of man to praise 
him, so he can overrule the intentions and plans 
of even witches, so-called, so as to make them aid 
in his purposes of rebuke and warning. The 
vision to the woman was also a warning to her ; 
it taught her the presence of a power far beyond 
her control. 



276 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Terrible was the impression on the conscience- 
stricken Saul ; he fell with his face to the ground 
in the presence of the vision of Samuel coming 
up clothed in his prophet's or royal mantle. 1 

Turning for a moment to the later incident 
connecting itself with Nain, w 7 e find in the rais- 
ing of the widow's son a striking illustration of 
our Lord's sympathy. This woman's case was 
touching in the extreme. This young man was 
not only her only son living, but the words in 
the original imply that he was the only son she 
ever had. The evangelist Luke, with two 
touches of his brush, gives us a portrait of this 
woman. With one stroke he shows her to us as 
a widow, and with another stroke as now de- 
prived of her only son. She had, doubtless, ex- 
pected to lean upon him for support, but now he 
was taken from her. Our Lord's heart grew 
tender as he thought of her multiplied griefs. 
This miracle of love and power has made Nain 
immortal. Great cities have passed away, but 
this Galilean village will abide. When Nine- 
veh, Babylon, Athens, and Rome are forgotten, 
Nain will live. Christ glorified the entire land 
of Palestine. Its villages with which he came 
in special contact are still vocal with his words 
and radiant with his presence. His sympathy is 
as real toward those who sorrow to-day as it was 
toward the widow of Nain in that day. He can 
still be touched with the feeling of our infirm- 
ities. 



1 1 Sam. 28 : II-14. 



NAIN AND WIDOW ; ENDOR AND WITCH 277 



Saul's terrible moral downfall abounds in les- 
sons to men of to-day. These narratives of the 
olden time are as appropriate for to-day as they 
were for the men of that early day. Saul's 
downward course was gradual. There is much 
about him which we all must admire. When 
he first comes before us he awakens our enthusi- 
asm and evokes our admiration. Magnificent in 
stature, he was magnanimous in spirit. His first 
trial and transgression revealed elements of 
weakness in his character which only close stu- 
dents of his life would suspect. He refused to 
obey God as God's will had been revealed by the 
words of the prophet Samuel. Saul ordered 
sacrifices to be offered contrary to the divine 
law. When men take the first step in the down- 
ward way the subsequent steps are taken with 
ease and rapidity. God gave Saul another op- 
portunity before his final rejection. He was 
commanded to extirpate the Amalekites. These 
enemies of God long merited severe punishment 
from the people of God. No one may say that 
this command was unworthy of God, unless the 
critic knows all the principles on which the 
Ruler of the universe acts. Here again Saul 
was disobedient to the divine will. His conduct 
toward David is also worthy of reprehension. 
At times he sank into a condition of deep melan- 
choly; at times he was scarcely responsible for 
his acts. He became a monomaniac. His treat- 
ment of David was unworthy of him as a man 
and as a king ; but the measure of his iniquity 
became full when he forsook God and repaired 



278 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



to the woman of witchcraft, necromancy, and 
divination. 

One cannot but be conscious of some degree 
of tenderness as he thinks of the fearful condi- 
tion in which Saul found himself. The Philis- 
tines were upon him ; the morrow was a day of 
destiny. What shall he do ? He is forsaken of 
God and of men ; he sinks into despair. It is a 
terrible thing to forsake the living God. God's 
punishment came on apace, and came in har- 
mony with natural law. When men turn away 
from the living God they will seek after witches 
and every form of superstition. It is a remark- 
able fact that no men are so credulous toward 
the superstitions of witchcraft, spiritualism, and 
atheism, as the men who are most incredulous 
regarding the existence, authority, and provi- 
dence of God. When men refuse to believe in 
the living God they are ready to adopt the most 
unthinkable fancies and the most groveling 
superstitions. History warrants these strong 
statements. Caligula mocked at the existence 
of the gods, but he would hide himself under a 
bed when it thundered. Infidelity and supersti- 
tion are evermore twin brothers, conceived and 
born in sin. Faith in God is truly rational. 
The unbeliever is not worthy to be called a 
rationalist ; he is an irrationalist. He who fol- 
lows God, follows reason, truth, righteousness 
and holiness. True religion is sanctified com- 
mon sense, which, unfortunately, is often the 
most uncommon sense. 



XXVI 



BETHSHAN — u HOUSE OF REST" 

A RIDE of less than three hours from the 
fountain of Gideon takes us to Bethshan, 
which was afterward known as Scythopolis, and 
is now called Beisan. The ancient name Beth- 
shan and some remains of the town itself appear 
in the modern name and town of Beisan. The 
situation of the town is unusually attractive. 
It commands a grand view of the Jordan Valley, 
or, more strictly, the valley of Jezreel, where it 
opens into the Jordan Valley. The village con- 
tains only about fifty or sixty houses, and the 
people have a doubtful reputation. They are 
mostly Moslems and are described as being in- 
hospitable, fanatical, and lawless to an unusual 
degree. The ruins of the town are said to cover 
a space of more than two miles. The ancient 
town was built on the banks of the stream flow- 
ing from the Ain Jalud, which is by Jezreel, and 
is in all probability the spring by which the Is- 
raelites encamped before the battle of Gilboa, in 
which Saul was slain. It also watered the val- 
leys through which its various branches flow. 
Three other large brooks passed through or near 
the town. 

Amid the ruins are the remains of a hippo- 

279 



28o SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



drome, west of the village ; there are also frag- 
ments of columns which must have belonged to 
a temple of some sort, perhaps to the mosque 
finished in 1404 ; and scattered among these 
remains are large heaps of black hewn stones, 
foundations of houses, and portions of pillars. 
There are also remains of the amphitheatre in 
the bed of the valley which are well preserved. 
Roman arches and many traces of a massive 
wall remain. The amphitheatre must have 
measured across the front at least one hundred 
and eighty feet, and it had twelve tiers of seats. 
It is said to have possessed three oval recesses 
half way up the building, and these three re- 
cesses are supposed to have contained the brass 
sounding tubes. There are also remains of 
tombs which lie to the northeast of the Acropo- 
lis. The sarcophagi still exist in some of 
them. There are also triangular niches showing 
where lamps once were placed, and the places 
where doors once were hung are indicated in the 
stones. All of these ruins are in a wonderful 
state of preservation. The Tel, or Acropolis, is 
two hundred feet high. It is a nearly circular 
hill, on the top of which are traces of the walls 
which surrounded it. Two streams run through 
the ruins of the city. Travelers competent to 
judge tell us that Hebrew, Canaanitish, Roman, 
Christian, and Saracenic fragments may be dis- 
tinguished among the ruins of Bethshan. The 
waters flow in great abundance, gushing from 
perennial fountains, and the fertility of the soil 
and the luxuriance of the vegetation are re- 



BETHSHAN — " HOUSE OF REST " 281 



marked by many travelers. It is said that it 
affords the finest panorama next to that of Ger- 
izim in all central Palestine. 

Early Mention. — Bethshan was a city be- 
longing to the half -tribe of Manasseh west of the 
Jordan, situated in the valley of the Jordan. It 
was bounded on the west by the range of the 
mountains of Gilboa. It is about three miles 
from the Jordan and twenty from the Sea of 
Galilee. It lies three hundred and twenty feet 
below the level of the Mediterranean. David 
conquered Bethshan ; but it never became really 
a Jewish town. In the time of Josiah certain 
Scythians settled there, and because of their 
presence and influence it came to have the name 
of Scythopolis. The ancient rabbins did not 
consider Scythopolis as really a Jewish town ; 
they regarded its people as an unholy people. 
Kitto observes that if the dwellers there were 
descendants of the Scythians the reference in 
Col. 3 : 11, where the Scythian is named with 
the Jew and the Greek, becomes more intelli- 
gible than otherwise could be the case. It was 
at Bethshan that Alexander Jannseus met Cleo- 
patra. Pompey marched through Bethshan on 
his way from Damascus and Jerusalem. It is 
stated that in the Jewish war thirteen thousand 
Jews were slain by the Scythopolitans. Bishops 
of Scythopolis are mentioned in connection with 
various church councils, and for a time during 
the Crusades it w r as an archbishopric, but this 
honor was afterward transferred to Nazareth. 



282 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



The name Scythopolis was received after the 
exile and under the Greek dominion, but the 
name has not survived ; the old name of Beth- 
shan, as already remarked, appears in the modern 
name of Beisan. The instances are but few in 
Palestine in which Gentile names survive the 
old Semitic names. We have an instance in the 
case of Neapolis, the modern Nablus. In the 
time of the Crusades both names were given to 
Bethshan. The site of the town is just at the 
descent where the great plain of Ksdraelon runs 
into the valley of the Jordan. The ability of 
using their chariots, because of the level condi- 
tion of the ground, enabled the old Canaanites 
long to retain their hold on this place. But al- 
though the Israelites were not able to drive the 
Canaanites out, they had power enough to place 
them under tribute. 1 Saladin after much effort 
reduced the town and destroyed it by fire. 

When the Philistines came to strip the slain 
on Mount Gilboa, after the battle which had 
been so disastrous to Israel, we read that : " When 
the men of Israel that were on the other side of 
the valley, and they that were on the other side 
Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and 
that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook 
the cities, and fled ; and the Philistines came and 
dwelt in them. And it came to pass on the mor- 
row, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, 
that they found Saul and his three sons fallen 
in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head, 



1 Josh. 17 : 12, 13. 



BETHSHAN — " HOUSE OF REST" 283 



and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land 
of the Philistines round about, to publish it in 
the house of their idols, and among the people. 
And they put his armour in the house of Ashta- 
roth : and they fastened his body to the wall of 
Bethshan." 1 The armor of Saul was finally de- 
posited in the temple of Astarte, in this Canaan- 
itish city of Bethshan. It is plain that the head 
of Saul was deposited at Ashdod in the temple 
of Dagon. The Philistines found it difficult to 
forgive the Israelites for the death of their great 
champion Goliath. The contempt thrown upon 
Saul was also in accordance with the customs of 
ancient warfare. The Philistines, however, paid 
a compliment even to the dead Saul. Their 
fierce joy showed how great had been their fear 
of Saul and how powerful had been his influence 
in breaking their yoke from the necks of the 
Israelites. It was most unfortunate for Saul that 
he had previous to this battle broken with David, 
for if David had been with him, the Philistines 
might not have triumphed, and Saul would not 
have committed suicide. The men of Jabesh- 
Gilead heard of the indignity which had been 
inflicted upon the body of Saul. They had for- 
merly received kindnesses from him when be- 
sieged by Nahash, the king of the Ammonites. 
Their town lay beyond the Jordan in the land of 
Gilead ; they belonged to the half-tribe of Ma- 
nasseh, and once were banished by the Israelites 
because they refused to assist in the war against 



I Sam. 31 : 7-10. 



284 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Benjamin. One of the first exploits of Saul after 
he had been elected king was to raise the siege 
which Nahash laid against Jabesh-Gilead. The 
inhabitants, seeing no hope, had agreed to sur- 
render. They also accepted the terrible con- 
ditions of having their right eyes put out, in 
order that they might be unfit for all forms of 
military service. They were, however, allowed 
seven days in which to ratify the treaty. Saul 
heard of their pitiable condition. He hastily 
collected a large army, and immediately went to 
the relief of the besieged town. Saul was then 
in the heroic period of his life. The elements of 
nobility in his soul were aroused and this act of 
generosity was the result. The people never 
forgot his kindness and bravery in delivering 
them from their horrible fate. Forty years 
passed, and the opportunity came for the men of 
Jabesh-Gilead to show their gratitude to the 
memory of Saul and his sons. Their bodies, as 
we have seen, were fastened to the walls of Beth- 
shan, and now the men of Jabesh-Gilead came 
heroically over the Jordan by night to carry off 
the bodies, which they partly consumed by fire, 
burying them under the tamarisk tree, in Jabesh. 
They then fasted seven days. 1 They deserve all 
honor for this forced night march, and for their 
desire to give the bodies honorable burial. Saul 
certainly once possessed the power of attracting 
men. Bad men often have good qualities which 
call forth gratitude and affection. 



1 I Sam. 31 : II-13. 



BETHSHAN — - u HOUSED OF REST " 285 



We have noted that these men partly cremated 
the bodies of Saul and his sons. Cremation was 
highly honored among some of the heathen 
nations. It is, however, here mentioned for the 
first time in the Bible. It was here resorted to, 
without doubt, to ensure the bodies against fur- 
ther maltreatment. If they had buried the 
bodies, the Philistines might have inflicted addi- 
tional contempt upon their dead foes. In the 
Talmud, cremation is condemned as a heathen 
practice. The prejudice which exists against it 
to-day doubtless existed in the minds of many 
Hebrews at that time. 

It was deemed a great dishonor to the body, 
and an irreparable injury to the soul, when 
proper burial was denied the dead. To be un- 
buried was the greatest conceivable indignity, 
according to the popular belief in the ancient 
Bast. Many passages of Scripture could be cited 
in proof of this statement. The hero of the 
apocryphal book of Tobit has his highest praise, 
because of his devotion to the solemn duty of 
burying the bodies of Israelites, when they were 
found unburied in the streets and other public 
places. The Assyrians were under the influence 
of this commendable principle, or popular su- 
perstition, whichever we may choose to call it. 
When an Assyrian king wished to inflict the 
greatest humiliation and indignity on a fallen 
foe, he refused his body burial. The popular 
conviction was that the soul of a person unburied 
wandered about seeking rest and finding none. 
When these Orientals wished to inflict vengeance 



286 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



upon a foe after his death they left the body un- 
buried. A somewhat similar idea prevails to- 
day among the natives of India. According to 
the popular belief, if a body is left unburied, or 
is mutilated at death, the soul also is mutilated 
and in a sense unprotected in the spiritual world. 
This superstition led the British government to 
the awful punishment of tying the rebellious 
Sepoys to the mouths of cannon and blowing 
them therefrom. The design was not simply to 
visit the body with punishment, but to take ad- 
vantage of the popular superstition regarding the 
relation between a mutilated body and an injured 
spirit, and so strike unspeakable terror into the 
hearts of the rebels. A similar superstition con- 
trols the Chinese to-day in their desire to be 
buried in the soil of China. Every Chinese re- 
turning to his own country makes a contract 
with the steamship company that, in the case of 
death while on board the ship, his body shall be 
carried back to China. It was this principle, 
coupled with the memory of Saul's kindness, 
which governed the men of Jabesh-Gilead in 
giving Saul honorable burial. 

It is interesting in this connection to see how 
kindness, exercised in time of prosperity, may be 
repaid by its recipients in the time of adversity 
to their former benefactors. This thought is a 
gleam of light in the dark story and time which 
we have been studying. It is delightful to see 
that Saul's former kindness was not forgotten 
when the day of his terrible misfortune, defeat, 
and death came. It often seems to us as if our 



BETHSHAN — " HOUSE OE REST" 287 



best labors for the good of others were utterly 
unappreciated. Here is a striking instance of 
gratitude for former favors when their donor was 
silent in death. Let us give the men of Jabesh- 
Gilead all honor, and let their example stimulate 
us to acts of benevolence to-day. 

It is interesting also to see how David appreci- 
ated the heroism and gratitude of these men. 
He seems to have made inquiry concerning the 
body of Saul. When he learned that it had re- 
ceived honorable burial from the hands of these 
men on the opposite side of the Jordan, he asked 
the Iyord to show them kindness for the kind- 
ness they had shown to Saul. This may have 
been a bit of good policy on the part of David ; 
but it was not that alone. Doubtless he wished 
to win the good will of all the adherents of 
Saul ; but the act was consonant with the spirit 
of David's pathetic and powerful lament over 
Saul and Jonathan. The men of Jabesh-Gilead 
incurred danger of punishment at the hands of 
the Philistines when they took down from the 
walls of Bethshan the headless trunk of Saul. 
David honors their valorous conduct. He assures 
them that now that he is king he could render 
them aid, should their brave act subject them to 
danger. 

It is always noble to be loyal to friends and 
especially to show gratitude for former favors. 
Past all earthly friends our thoughts should go 
up to Christ as the Friend who died that we 
might live. There is a sense in which we now 
can stand beside his cross, sharing his reproach 



288 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



and glorying therein. His cross is really his 
throne ; and those who now rejoice in his suffer- 
ings, shall one day assuredly share in his tri- 
umphs. This thought gives life one of its 
noblest inspirations. 



XXVII 



MOUNT TABOR — u HEIGHT " 

RESSING on our way to Nazareth, we rode 



for hours in sight of beautiful and historic 
Mount Tabor. Its configuration and location 
are peculiar ; they are unique among the moun- 
tains of Palestine and, indeed, of the world. It 
rises like a dome, suddenly and alone, from the 
northeastern arm of the plain of Ksdraelon. It 
is one thousand eight hundred to two thousand 
feet above the sea, and nearly one thousand four 
hundred feet above the plain. So striking is the 
mountain that it is a rabbinic saying that the 
temple ought by right to have been built there, 
but a special revelation required it to be built on 
Mount Moriah. The mountain stands isolated, 
except that on the west a narrow ridge connects 
it with the hills of Nazareth. Its appearance is 
truly beautiful, it is so symmetrical in its pro- 
portions, and so like a hemisphere in its form. 
Seen, therefore, at different angles it presents 
various aspects. It is studded with oaks, syr- 
inga, and other trees and bushes ; it has thick 
foliage on the sides, and a level tract on the 
summit. These trees afford shelter for wolves, 
wild boars, and lynxes. 

Mount Tabor lies six to eight miles nearly due 




T 



289 



290 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



east of Nazareth. Its name probably meant 
" height." The Greek and Roman writers called 
it Itabyrion and Atabyrion ; its modern name is 
Jebel-et-Tur. In shape it is like a sugar loaf, 
flattened at the top. From whatever point it is 
viewed, it is graceful and beautiful to an unusual 
degree. The dew is very heavy on the moun- 
tain ; it seems in the early morning as if a shower 
of rain had fallen in the night. Glorious is the 
panorama from its top ; there is nothing more 
beautiful in the Holy Land. Objects of natural 
beauty and of sacred interest abound. Take a 
glance about you as you there stand. Fifteen 
miles distant is the Sea of Galilee, glittering in 
the sunshine ; still looking east, the course of 
the Jordan for many miles can be seen ; still 
farther east, the mountains of Gilead and Ba- 
shan ; on the west, is the Mediterranean ; on the 
northwest, Carmel lifts its head. On the north 
and northeast, are the ranges of Lebanon, and 
still farther beyond the snow-capped Hermon, 
and nearer the Horns of Hattin, the reputed 
mount of the Beatitudes. On the south is 
Gilboa, made famous because of David's elegy. 
We can see Kndor and Nain. Tender memories 
will ever cluster about this beautiful mountain, 
even though we cannot believe that it was the 
place of our Lord's transfiguration ; of that I 
shall speak a little later. With such views be- 
fore us, the language of the psalmist 1 appropri- 
ately suggests itself : 



1 Ps. 89: II, 12. 



MOUNT TABOR — " HEIGHT " 



291 



The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine : 
The world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. 
The north and the south, thou hast created them : 
Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. 

The history of the mountain is deeply inter- 
esting. Tabor is not mentioned in the New Tes- 
tament, but it fills a large place in the old. It 
was here that Deborah commanded Barak to as- 
semble his army. The words of Scripture, in 
Judg. 4: 14, 15, are: "So Barak went down 
from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after 
him. And the L,ord discomfited Sisera, and all 
his chariots and all his host, with the edge of the 
sword before Barak." The incidents thus sum- 
marized well deserve our more careful study. 
About one hundred and sixty years after Josh- 
ua's death, the people turned very generally to 
the worship of Baal. God punished them by 
letting loose an enemy among them. He de- 
signed in this way to drive them back to him- 
self. A century and a half before Joshua had 
overrun the petty kingdom of Hazor, but now it 
had recovered itself ; another Jabin reigned. He 
acquired a force of chariots even to the number 
of nine hundred. Thus he was able to over- 
power the Israelites of the north, and for twenty 
years he kept them in subjection. He had for- 
tresses at Taanach, Megiddo, and Bethshan. 
These cut off help from the southern tribes, and 
he held the northern in his grasp. Trade 
ceased ; the people went into hiding ; the high- 
ways were neglected ; and men who had to 
make journeys went by secret mountain paths. 



292 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



The people were cowed and fearful. They were 
an unarmed multitude ; they could scarcely 
boast of a spear or shield among forty thousand 
men. 1 Their enemies were numerous, well- 
armed, and confident of continuous victories 
over their feeble foes. 

In this crisis a woman comes forward as the 
deliverer of the oppressed people. She was the 
Joan of Arc of the time. She was fired with a 
noble patriotism and a lofty religious enthusi- 
asm. She had long pondered over the sorrows 
of her countrymen ; she had mused until the 
fires of her zeal burned into a flame. Her he- 
roic soul was aglow for God and country. She 
was indignant that cowardice kept the people 
from bravely striking for liberty. She lived in 
the south in the hills of Ephraim, between Ra- 
man and Bethel. She dwelt there under a palm 
tree. Her name, Deborah, is significant, it means 
a bee — and as a bee she gave honey to her 
friends and a sting to her foes. She was the 
wife of Lapidoth, whoever he may have been. 
His name means, " the torch." She was a poet 
as well as a patriot ; and her songs seem to have 
aroused the spirit of the people to a great pitch 
of natural enthusiasm. Her fame for wisdom 
was so great that she exercised a sort of judicial 
power, sitting, for the sake of its shade, under a 
palm tree, which afterward bore her name. 

The whole country, from Benjamin to Naph- 
tali, caught the inspiration of her great soul, but 



1 Judg. 5 : 8. 



MOUNT TABOR — " HEIGHT " 



293 



she needed a leader for the movement. On the 
shores of the lake of Galilee, south of where 
Tiberias stands, was Kedesh ; here lived the 
chief whom she chose. His name was Barak, 
meaning, "the thunderbolt," or perhaps "light- 
ning." She was the ruling spirit; she com- 
manded him to inarch to Tabor, and she prom- 
ised that God would deliver Sisera, Jabin's com- 
mander, with his horses and chariots, into Barak's 
hand. But still Barak hesitated. He needed 
Deborah's faith, hope, and zeal. He insisted 
that she must go with him ; she was ready to go. 
But her going would take from him the victory ; 
it would be hers and not his. Ten thousand 
men answered the messengers sent far and near. 
They assembled at Tabor. Issachar, from the 
plains of Esdraelon, sent bands of volunteers ; 
Ephraimites gathered from their hills ; valiant 
crowds of Benjamites, fierce, warlike, skilled 
with the bow, and so famous with the sling that 
they could throw stones to a hair-breadth and 
not miss, and able to use either hand w T ith equal 
skill. Manasseh, on both sides of the Jordan, sent 
her chiefs. The national spirit was aroused again, 
as in the old days when Joshua was the chosen 
leader. But the cowardly people of Meroz re- 
fused to help ; the clans of Reuben stayed among 
their sheepfolds. Gad refused to go ; and Dan 
stayed among the boats at Joppa. Asher did 
nothing ; and of Judah and Simeon there is 
silence. Haughty Ephraim remained aloof, but 
Zebulun and Naphtali are to earn an illustrious 
name. 



294 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



To Tabor came the patriots. No place could 
be more wisely chosen. The people here were 
safe from the chariots of the Canaanites. The 
summit furnished a view, as from a watch-tower, 
of all the movements of the Canaanites in the 
plain below. Sisera collected his forces in the 
plain of Esdraelon ; this was really the only 
place in Northern Palestine where chariots had 
space for their maneuvers. He was about six- 
teen miles from Tabor, his headquarters being at 
the town and fortress of Taanach. We have 
already seen that in all ages the plain of Es- 
draelon has been the battlefield of Palestine. All 
was ready. Deborah cried to Barak, u Up, this 
is the day." Bravely down the mountain-side 
poured the ill-armed Hebrew host. The two 
forces were about to meet. Just then a terrible 
storm of sleet and hail from the east burst over 
the plain. It was in the backs of the Hebrews, 
but in the faces of the Canaanites. " The stars 
in their courses fought against Sisera." The 
rains descended, the floods came, the winds blew 
and beat upon the plain. The deep, red soil was 
soon turned into a quagmire. The rushing tor- 
rents filled the dry watercourses. The chariots 
were mired. The day was lost to the Canaan- 
ites. Sisera leaped from his chariot and fled on 
foot to the northeast, to the slopes of Tabor, and 
finally sought refuge in the tent of Jael Heber, 
who for the time was his master's ally. Jael, 
the sheik's wife, gave him lebben, a preparation 
of curdled milk, which is refreshing and which 
soon produces sleep. See him asleep ! See her 



MOUNT TABOR — " HEIGHT " 



295 



standing over him ! Shall she violate all the 
laws of Arab hospitality? He lies down with a 
feeling of perfect safety. He is, doubtless, in 
the part of the tent reserved for the women. She 
covers him with a cloak. Terrible thoughts are 
in her heart. She is his ally ; but his race was 
the foe of her race. There he sleeps before her. 
Shall she smite him ? Could she not thus ren- 
der a great service to her kindred ? See him as 
he sleeps. See her as she takes up one of the 
tent pegs ; in her other hand is the mallet. She 
stands over the weary sleeper. She raises her 
hand. The tent pin is at his temple ; the mallet 
is uplifted. She gives the pin a terrible blow. 
It goes crushing through his temples and enters 
the ground. One convulsive bound and Sisera 
lies dead at her feet as she strode over him. 
Terrible was her treachery ! 

Deborah's victory was great. The Canaanites 
were defeated with overwhelming disaster ; and 
no battle afterward w 7 as necessary to keep them 
in subjection. Israel also learned the great ad- 
vantage of national union. This was Israel's 
first great victory since the days of Joshua. The 
national degradation of Israel was ended when 
their idolatry was abandoned. God was recog- 
nized as the author of their victory. The mag- 
nificent song of Deborah, worthy to be ranked 
with the song of Miram, on the shores of the 
Red Sea, gives God the glory. It is for us also 
a two-fold record of the great battle and the 
sublime triumph of Israel. It scorches Meroz 
for not coming to the help of the Lord against 



296 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



the mighty. We cannot praise the act of Jael ; 
it was a treacherous murder. But we must not 
judge that remote time and those rude nations 
by the standards of morality by which we now 
conduct wars and judge civilized peoples. The 
revelation of God in Jesus Christ has greatly ex- 
alted the standards of judgment on all questions 
of morals. The Bible really does not endorse 
Jael's deed ; although in the exaltation of victory 
and in the enthusiasm of poetry Deborah sings 
of the act, but only as it bore on the freedom 
and the fortunes of Israel. 

Tabor is referred to in the wars of Gideon. It 
is mentioned in the Psalms, as we have already 
seen, and elsewhere with beautiful figurative 
allusions. The Prophet Jeremiah refers to Ta- 
bor ; so does Hosea. 

Tabor, as has been said, is not mentioned in 
the New Testament, but a tradition, believed in 
for centuries, made it the holy mount, the mount- 
ain of our Lord's transfiguration. It is now 
clearly shown that the great event took place 
on one of the spurs of Hermon. Just before the 
transfiguration Christ was at Cesarea-Philippi, 
and after coming down from the mountain, he 
departed thence, and passed through Galilee in 
order to get to Jerusalem. In our Lord's day 
the top of Tabor was occupied by a strongly 
fortified town which had been there for more 
than two hundred years, and was there for sixty 
years after Christ's day, and probably much 
longer both before and after the birth of Christ. 
But the conspicuous position of Tabor led the 



MOUNT TABOR — "HEIGHT" 



297 



pilgrims to select it, and many visitors still cling 
to the old tradition. 

On the summit the broad plateau is covered 
with the ruins of buildings of many centuries ; 
there are remains of houses, towers, cisterns, and 
vaults ; the last have been used as chapels and 
altars. These probably belonged to the time of 
the crusaders. Efforts are now making to erect 
a church on the summit. Latin priests come 
from Nazareth once a year to celebrate the mass. 
The Greeks also hold various services. Some 
monks and other religious enthusiasts have spent 
many years on the top of the mountain waiting 
for the second coming of Christ. 

In the gallery of memory Tabor will ever live 
as a beautiful picture. I still see it rising in its 
unique symmetry from the plain. It is a majes- 
tic witness to the truth of Scripture. It has 
looked down on the wonderful history enacted 
in that historic plain of Esdraelon. Its dews 
have moistened the battleflags of nearly all the 
great nations under heaven. It has seen glorious 
victories and terrible defeats; it has heard the 
shouts of the victors and the groans of the van- 
quished. The eyes of some of the world's great- 
est soldiers have been lifted to its summit. But 
most of all, is it beautiful to us because Christ 
saw it, perhaps rejoiced in its beauty, and drew 
inspiration from its sublimity. His presence 
gives beauty and glory to Palestine. His rela- 
tion to our world as its Creator, Preserver, and 
Redeemer gives our planet its chief dignity and 
charm. We do not know what honors may have 



298 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



been given to other worlds, but it is enough for 
us to know that in this world Jesus Christ was 
born, that here he lived, here he died, and from 
it he ascended to the vacant place by his Father's 
side. These great truths have made the whole 
world vocal with Christ's name, resplendent with 
his glory, and prophetic of his triumph. 

Superb, majestic, unique Tabor ! Thou wert 
beautiful to sight, instructive to faith, and in- 
spiring to hope, and thou shalt be forever fragrant 
in memory. Regarding Christ we shall ever say : 
" Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name." 



XXVIII 



NAZARETH — "THE GUARDED ONE" 

ERY tender thoughts come into our hearts 



v as we ride toward Nazareth. The origin 
of the word it is extremely difficult to deter- 
mine. Some have supposed that it is from 
" Netser," meaning a sprout, but Dr. Selah Mer- 
rill, in his monograph entitled, " Galilee in the 
Time of Christ," gives quite a different interpre- 
tation. Admitting that none can decide defi- 
nitely as to its meaning, he proceeds to reject the 
explanation which derives it from the Hebrew 
word meaning consecrated or devoted to God ; 
also that which derives it from the word mean- 
ing my Saviour ; and likewise the popular inter- 
pretation which derives it from a shoot or sprout. 
He believes that the hill behind the present town 
must always have had a name. This hill com- 
mands a wonderful prospect. He inclines to the 
interpretation of the word which makes it mean 
"one guarding." But the word may mean, as 
applied to the town, " the watched or guarded 
one." He takes very strong ground against 
what is so often said regarding the absolute se- 
clusion of Nazareth as the home of Christ ; and 
he is also warmly opposed to the idea that Naza- 
reth, or Galilee, was really regarded with com 




300 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



tempt by the people of Jerusalem. He inter- 
prets the language of Nathanael, and other 
references to Nazareth, in such a way as to re- 
lieve the town of the unfavorable opinion which 
has so frequently been associated with the name. 
He calls especial attention to the fact that Naza- 
reth was not called a village, but a city ; and 
he endorses the opinion of Josephus regarding 
the extent of Galilee, and' the great number of 
inhabitants to the square mile. He supposes 
that Galilee may have supported a population of 
three millions, and that it was a region of great 
natural fertility and richness. He claims that 
the Sea of Galilee was a focus of life and activ- 
ity, and that the Galileans were truly a Jewish 
people, and that religion, education, and morals, 
as well as poetic talent, had reached among them 
a high degree of development. He also makes 
the province notable for its material prosperity 
and wealth. If he has not entirely proved his 
points, he certainly has done something toward 
silencing his opposers. 

It is an interesting fact that the drift of 
scholarship in our times is in the direction of 
giving Nazareth a prominence long denied the 
town, and so greater honor as the place of our 
Lord's home in his boyhood. Dr. George Adam 
Smith, in his really great book, " The Historical 
Geography of the Holy Land," endorses the idea 
that Nazareth was not the secluded and dishon- 
ored village that many suppose ; and he quotes 
Mr. Walter Besant's lecture on the "Work of 
the Palestine Exploration Fund," as taking the 



NAZARETH — "THE GUARDED ONE" 301 



same ground. Mr. Besant says : " Palestine was 
not an obscure country. . . He who wandered 
among the hills and valleys of Galilee was never 
far from some great and populous city. . . It 
was not as a rustic preaching to rustics that our 
Ivord went about." He shows how Christ was 
often in the midst of busy and populous cities 
and always surrounded by evidences of Roman 
civilization. It is likely that the investigations 
of the next few years will give new interpreta- 
tions to many Scripture references to Nazareth 
and to Galilee, and thus give honor to places 
long under the ban in popular opinion. 

None can read of Nazareth, and certainly none 
can visit the town, without emotions of great 
interest and tenderness. The chief interest at- 
taching to the place is that it was for thirty 
years the home of Jesus Christ. It is a city of 
lower Galilee about sixty-five miles north of 
Jerusalem, and belongs to the territory of the 
tribe of Zebulun. It is nearly six miles north- 
west of Mount Tabor, and about midway from 
the Jordan to the Mediterranean. Mention is 
not made of it in the Old Testament, nor is it 
found in the writings of Josephus. The city 
overlooks from the northwest a rich and fruitful 
valley, while it is surrounded by hills between 
which there is a narrow opening to the plain of 
Esdraelon. The city clings to the eastern slope 
of the hill, which is one of the fifteen hills en- 
circling it, and almost hiding it from view until 
the traveler has actually come upon it. Some 
one has called the city a rose, and has spoken of 



302 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



the mountains around it as a part of the rounded 
leaves of the flower. The vale in which Naza- 
reth nestles is about a mile long by one-half 
wide, and resembles a circular basin shut in by 
hills, along the lower edge of which lies Naza- 
reth. The hills vary from four to five hundred 
feet in height ; and the valley is a rich and 
beautiful spot in the midst of barren hills. The 
town, especially as seen from the enclosing hills, 
is very picturesque. It is difficult to arrive at a 
correct estimate of the population. Some make 
it about five thousand ; while others say that it 
is at least ten thousand. Perhaps three-quarters 
of the population belong to various Christian 
communities. Its houses are white, and present 
an appearance of industry and prosperity rare in 
Oriental towns. Its streets are narrow and wind- 
ing ; convent buildings are numerous, the tall 
minaret of the mosque being conspicuous. Gar- 
dens of figs, olives, oranges, and pomegranates 
surround the village thus beautifully nestling 
among the sturdy hills, whose people certainly 
are more remarkable for kindness, intelligence, 
industry, and prosperity than are those of any 
other town or city in Palestine. The women are 
proverbial for their beauty, being with those of 
Bethlehem the handsomest women in Palestine. 
In this respect they are quite marked ; their 
complexions are fairer, their forms more grace- 
ful, and their whole address more attractive than 
those of any other women to be found in the 
land. Approaching Nazareth we notice the vil- 
lage of Iksal. This is supposed to be the Chis- 



NAZARETH — "THE GUARDED ONE" 303 



loth-Tabor, meaning " flank of Tabor," men- 
tioned in Josh. 19 : 12. The hill here is precip- 
itous, and there is a tradition that it was from this 
point that the people wished to cast Christ down 
headlong ; but this is one of the most worthless 
traditions connected with any place in the vicin- 
ity of Nazareth. 

The history of Nazareth dates from the time 
of Christ, but until the time of Constantine it at- 
tracted but little attention. The modern name 
is Kn-Nasirah. Until the time of Constantine 
the town was inhabited chiefly by Samaritan 
Jews ; later it fell into the hands of the Greeks, 
Franks, and Arabs, and in it crusaders built 
churches which the Arabs destroyed. The 
Christians did not really get a foothold until 
the eighteenth century. Pasha Jezzar laid a 
plot to murder all Christians as soon as the 
French under Napoleon had evacuated the place, 
but an English admiral defeated his Satanic 
scheme. 

Here lived Joseph and Mary, and here was the 
scene of the annunciation. 1 From Nazareth 
Joseph and Mary went up to Bethlehem to be 
taxed, and after their return from Egypt it was 
their home until Christ entered on his public 
ministry. 2 From Nazareth Jesus went to the 
Jordan to be baptized of John when he entered 
his public ministry, 3 and here he returned after 
these events/ When the people of his own city 
rose up to thrust him from the brow of the hill, 

1 Luke I : 26, 27. 2 Matt. 2 : 23. 3 Matt. 3 : 13. 
4 Luke 4 : 16. 



304 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



he passed through the midst of them and went 
to Capernaum. 1 Ever after his rejection by his 
townspeople he considered Capernaum as his 
own city ; and so far as we know he does not 
seem ever again to have visited his early home, 
although he must often have seen it in the dis- 
tance while on his journey to Jerusalem. 

Places of Interest in Nazareth. — The 
Iyatin convent is enclosed with high walls and 
contains the church of the Annunciation. The 
high altar is dedicated to the Angel Gabriel and 
below the altar is the chapel of the Angels, and 
near it is the chapel of the Annunciation. There 
is in this chapel a memorable altar with the in- 
scription : Hie verbum caro factum est — " Here 
the Word was made flesh." Columns mark the 
supposed places where Mary and the angel stood. 
The column marking the spot on which Mary 
stood is broken ; and tradition affirms that this 
was the work of enemies, and that the column in 
a miraculous way retains its position. A door- 
way leads to the chapel of Joseph, and then a 
stairway to the kitchen of the Virgin. This 
kitchen altar, however, is a mere cave, the mouth 
being pointed out as the chimney. The Holy 
House of Nazareth is not here. Tradition tells 
us that it was carried to L,oreto in Italy. This 
tradition affirms that the Casa Santa, or Holy 
House, was brought by angels to a spot on the 
coast of Dalmatia, that there it rested for three 



Luke 4 : 29-31. 



NAZARETH — "THE GUARDED ONE " 305 



years, and was then carried off at night by 
angels, to the property of a certain widow named 
Laureta, hence the name Loreto. This tradition 
was so generally believed by ignorant and super- 
stitious Romanists, that a church w r as built and 
a village collected at the place, and Pope Sixtus 
V. gave it the rights of a town. It is estimated 
that a half-million pilgrims annually resort to 
this place ; which is thus one of the most fre- 
quently visited places in Christendom. The 
legend, however, fails to tell how the white stone 
of Nazareth was changed into the red stone of 
Loreto ; but if the transportation occasions one 
no difficulty of belief he should not stumble at 
the change of color. 

The workshop of Joseph is in the Moslem 
quarter, but is in possession of the Latins. The 
most credulous people, however, claim only a 
small part of the wall as that of the original 
workshop. What is called the table of Christ, 
where he ate with his disciples, is also pointed 
out. The synagogue where he is said to have 
taught is in the possession of the United Greeks. 
I went up with my dragoman the winding way 
which led to the top of the mount of Precipita- 
tion, and there is almost no doubt but that this 
is the true location. The moment one sees this 
place he feels that it corresponds to all the de- 
scriptions given in the gospel narrative. The 
other place pointed out is at least two miles from 
the heart of the town, and is altogether an im- 
probable site. 

There is no place in Nazareth more sacred in 
u 



306 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



all its associations than the fountain of the 
Virgin, where is still a plentiful spring pouring 
out its water from three mouths. Above it there 
is another church of the Annunciation, which 
is the property of the Orthodox Greeks. Arriv- 
ing at Nazareth soon after noon, I had time for 
needed rest before visiting its places of interest ; 
and I went several times to this fountain. A 
beautiful sight it was in the evening to see the 
mothers with their children, both boys and girls, 
gathered in large numbers, and in their strik- 
ingly picturesque costumes, at this well. Groups 
were waiting while others were filling their jars, 
which were then lifted to the head, while the 
women walked off with ease and grace, carrying 
their heavy load. Others then step forward to 
fill their pitchers, and so the process continues. 
The sight was most impressive and beautiful. 
As one looked at these graceful women accom- 
panied by their children, he could not help feel- 
ing that often Mary and the infant Saviour had 
come to this well, had filled their pitcher, and 
had gone back to their home, as we saw mothers 
and children doing that evening. It was easy to 
feel that often the boy Christ stopped at this well 
on his way home after a day of rambling on the 
adjoining hills. Perhaps at no time thus far 
during my visit in Palestine was I conscious of 
coming into closer touch with the life of Christ 
than as I sat at evening's holy and beautiful 
hour at the fountain of the Virgin. 

Much excellent Protestant religious work is 
going on in Nazareth, the church being a hand- 



NAZARETH — "THE GUARDED ONE" 307 



some building under the direction of the Church 
Missionary Society, while the number of Protes- 
tant communicants is considerable. The Girls' 
Orphanage is in a flourishing state, and the 
Christian atmosphere of Nazareth is favorable 
to the development of the nobler qualities of 
manhood. Mohammedanism and heathenism 
take the crown from every woman's brow. 
Christianity is the one faith which gives her true 
dignity and becoming reverence and she is hon- 
ored just in proportion as it is believed and its 
precepts obeyed. 

I have had occasion frequently to speak of 
some of the grand prospects in Palestine. One 
of the most magnificent is from the summit of 
the hill on the eastern slope of which lies 
Nazareth. Never shall I forget the comming- 
ling of tender emotions as I thought of Christ's 
home in the town, and of the glorious view 
stretched out on every side. This view, doubt- 
less, our Iyord often enjoyed. His nature was 
open to appreciation of the beautiful in all 
departments of his own creation. How his soul 
must have drunk in the beauties stretching out 
before him ! On the north were the ridges of 
Lebanon, and above all the majestic top of snow- 
crowned Hermon. On the west was Carmel, 
with glimpses of the Mediterranean. East and 
southeast were Tabor and Gilboa. To the east 
of the Jordan were the heights of Bashan. On 
the beautiful plain were Nain, Endor, and Jez- 
reel, and at our feet lay the town in which the 
divine Redeemer spent his boyhood. 



308 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



No one can mention the name of Nazareth in 
connection with the life of Christ without being 
reminded of the lesson of obedience which he 
rendered to his parents. For eighteen years the 
curtain does not lift upon his experiences in the 
quiet home in this city. One often wishes to 
know more than is revealed to us concerning his 
quiet life in Nazareth, but the hints which are 
given are profoundly suggestive. They teach us 
that he was willing to subject himself to the 
authority of his earthly parents. Here in this 
secluded home he had opportunities for studying 
the Old Testament Scriptures, for communing 
with nature, and for developing a life of self- 
reliance as he toiled at the carpenter's bench. 
We cannot overestimate the value in the spirit- 
ual life of these years of retirement and silence. 

He sets before us an example of a life of 
humble industry. As he left his Father's house 
in heaven for earth, so after his visit to Jerusa- 
lem, when twelve years old, he left his Father's 
earthly house for his humble home at Nazareth. 
For eighteen years after his visit to the temple 
he lived there in obscurity until he came to the 
Jordan to be baptized of John. His was a per- 
fect childhood, and an obedient youthhood, as 
well as an ideal manhood. There is in many 
respects a greater charm about Christ as the per- 
fect boy than as the perfect man. He, no doubt, 
learned his father's trade and humbly worked at 
it with his father, and possibly helped to support 
his mother after his earthly father's death ; for it 
is altogether likely that Joseph died before Jesus 



NAZARETH — " THE GUARDED ONE " 309 



entered upon his public ministry. It is worth 
much that Jesus was born poor, and lived under 
the necessity of performing daily toil for daily 
need. This thought of Christ gives him power 
in the world to-day. He is the poor man's best 
friend. Had he come into the world rich he 
would be shorn of much of his power. He 
teaches us also to bide our time and thoroughly 
to prepare ourselves for our public duties. Dur- 
ing all these years he performed no miracle, — 
that fact alone is almost a miracle. He learned 
much from his mother. It was his habit to 
attend the school of the synagogue, and on the 
Sabbath to participate publicly in its services. 
He learned most from the immediate knowledge 
he had of his Father's will. In the depths of 
his soul he heard his Father's voice as truly as 
Adam in his innocence heard the voice of God 
in paradise. We are in too great haste to begin 
our work, and so we neglect proper preparation. 
Evermore Nazareth shall speak to me with a 
voice of tenderness regarding all the relations of 
husband and wife, of father and child, and of 
both to the great God in heaven, Christ's Father 
and ours. 



XXIX 
CANA OF GALILEE 
B left Nazareth early in the morning. 



Now, as in the early days, travelers in 
the Orient are accustomed to start early, before 
the sun reaches its great heat. The first village 
which we pass is Reineh, but it has no special 
historical associations. Near the roadside, how- 
ever, there stands an old sarcophagus ; once it 
was richly ornamented and traces of its former 
superior workmanship yet remain, although now 
it is used as the common water trough of the 
village. On the top of a hill on our left, as we 
ride toward Cana, is the village of Meshad, as it 
is now called, supposed to be the ancient Gath- 
hepher. It belonged to the children of Zebulun, 
and was the birthplace of the prophet "Jonah, 
the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of 
Gath-hepher." 1 It lay not far from Sepphoris 
on the road to the south of Galilee, and here 
tradition locates the tomb of Jonah ; but of this 
there is no certainty. 

We soon reached Cana, so supposed, where 
Christ performed his first miracle by turning 
water into wine. Some travelers, and among 
them Drs. Robinson and Porter, object to this 




2 Kings 14 : 25. 



CANA OF GAULEE 



3" 



village as the site of the ancient Cana. They 
located it at Kana-el-Jelil near Sepphoris, and 
about nine miles north of Nazareth. It is by no 
means certain which is the true site. The name 
Kana-el-Jelil has the stronger probability ; but 
the location is in favor of Kefr Kenna. For 
some time after Dr. Robinson's day the other 
town was generally accepted ; but the former 
opinion is fast reasserting itself, and Kefr Kenna 
is coming to be very generally considered as the 
true Cana of Galilee. It is about three and 
a half to four miles east of Nazareth on the road 
to Tiberias. The tradition connecting this spot 
with Cana of Galilee is very ancient, it having 
been found in the eighth century. It is a small, 
neat-looking village, pleasantly situated on the 
descent of a hill looking to the southwest and 
is surrounded by olive and other fruit trees, such 
as figs and pomegranates. There is in the vicin- 
ity a large spring enclosed by a wall ; and, if 
this is the true Cana, as I think it is, the water 
used at the marriage feast at the time of our 
Lord's visit was almost certainly drawn from 
this spring. Water-pots of compact limestone 
are still used in this neighborhood. There is 
a small Greek church, and it is declared that 
one of the very waterpots used at the marriage 
feast may be seen here. A house said to be 
that of Nathanael, who was a native of Cana, is 
pointed out. The church is said to stand on the 
site of the house in which the miracle of chan- 
ging the water into wine was performed. The 
Christians of the village are mostly of the Greek 



312 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Church. It is said that in the time of the Cru- 
sades six of the waterpots were brought to 
France, where one of them is said still to re- 
main intact in the Musee d'Angers. 

Here it was that our Lord performed his first 
miracle, 1 and here also, 2 he healed by a word the 
nobleman's son. This nobleman was, in all 
probability, a Jew. He came not as did the 
heathen centurion, pleading for his servant, but 
for his son. By the record in John 4 : 46-54, 
we see that the nobleman himself came to plead 
for his son. He limited Christ's power to his 
actual presence. Some suppose that this noble- 
man was a civil or military officer in service of 
Herod Antipas. It has been suggested that he 
may have been the " Chuza, Herod's steward," 
whose wife Joanna afterward ministered to Jesus. 
His son was sick at Capernaum, on the north- 
west shore of the Sea of Galilee, about fifteen 
miles away. The man was very earnest as he 
said, " Sir, come down ere my child die." In 
Christ's answer there was a mingling of rebuke 
and encouragement. Christ tried the noble- 
man's faith, but in the trial sent him away with 
this sweet assurance, "Go thy way, thy son 
liveth." 

The man's imperfect faith was answered, but 
in such a way as to humble him and honor 
Christ. Jesus answered this man of rank with 
calmness, dignity, and authority. He gave him 
no flattery ; he showed no obsequiousness. Jesus 



1 John 2 : i-ii, 2 John 4 : 46-54. 



CANA OF GALILEE 



would not leave his appointed sphere or place of 
duty. He could and would heal the sick boy 
without seeing his face. Happy father, he be- 
lieved ! happy boy, he was healed ! See the 
father going home, and his servants meeting 
him ! Hear them saying, " Thy son liveth." 
He learns upon inquiry that at the same hour 
at which Jesus said, " Thy son liveth," the fever 
left him. 

This miracle at Cana was, as we are here in- 
formed, "the beginning of miracles." It is a 
remarkable thing that Christ did not perform 
miracles until now. The Apocryphal Gospels 
represent him as having performed many mira- 
cles during his boyhood and early manhood. 
One has only to compare the accounts of those 
miracles with the true to see the difference be- 
tween inspired and uninspired writings. They 
are frivolous, puerile, and often ludicrous. They 
lack the majesty, dignity, and divinity of the 
gospel narratives. Christ bided his time. This 
miracle began the series. This inauguration 
was as significant in its prophetic meaning re- 
garding his earthly ministry as was his first 
parable. The first parable was that of " The 
Sower." It suggests the whole work of our 
Lord in his public ministry. He came to sow 
" the good seed of the kingdom." Not less 
prophetic is this first miracle. It suggests the 
whole purpose of Christ's earthly life. He 
came to ennoble, to transmute, to glorify, to 
divinize. As he now turned water into wine, 
so his entire ministry was to be the turning 



314 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



of the water of earth into the wine of heaven. 
It is profoundly significant that he should 
have inaugurated his miracles with one which 
is so prophetic of his entire earthly work. The 
mother of Jesus was at this marriage feast, 
while it is altogether probable that Joseph was 
dead. He has at this time entirely disappeared 
from the history. He was last mentioned on the 
occasion of Christ's visit to the temple, now 
more than eighteen years before. The disciples 
who were present on this occasion w T ere probably 
Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and John 
himself. They had recently become attached to 
Christ as their Lord and Master. It is instruc- 
tive that they should be witnesses of this first 
miracle. 

It is not at all surprising that Jesus performed 
his first miracle at a wedding feast. He was not 
an ascetic ; he was a man among men ; he came 
to sanctify and glorify all forms of true and 
noble life. He was not a John the Baptist, se- 
cluding himself from the social festivities of life. 
He loved the homes and the innocent joys of the 
families with whom he associated. Jesus was 
for all times and all civilizations. He is the 
contemporary of all generations and individuals. 
This element in his life is absolutely unique. 
He belongs to the close of the nineteenth cen- 
tury as much as he did to the opening of the 
first century. He sanctifies our joy as truly as 
our sorrow ; but it is especially significant that 
he should have performed this miracle at a mar- 
riage feast. His example in this respect rebukes 



CANA OF GALILEE 



315 



the teaching and practice of the Roman Church 
to-day. He foresaw that the time would come 
when in the church called by his name men 
would despise marriage. It was most important 
that he should rebuke this unchristian doctrine. 
All who so teach find no authority in the words 
or the example of Jesus Christ. He nowhere 
gives undue emphasis to celibacy. No church 
has a right to represent the marriage state as 
being less holy and beautiful than that of celi- 
bacy. By anticipation he rebuked many of the 
other doctrines also which are taught in the 
Roman Church to-day. It would seem as if he 
distinctly foresaw them and took pains to put 
upon them the stamp of his disapproval. 

It cannot be denied that he here seemed to put 
a certain slight on his mother. Romanist inter- 
preters have striven in vain to remove from his 
words, u Woman, what have I to do with thee ? " 
the element of rebuke which they contain. The 
mere word, " woman " has in it no suggestion of 
severity. When he was upon the cross and 
when he committed his mother to the care of 
the beloved John he said, " Woman, behold thy 
son." But when he said, at the marriage feast, 
"What have I to do with thee?" he distinctly 
gave his mother a slight rebuke. The words 
mean that now there was not the common 
ground between them which had characterized 
their former relations. She must understand 
that she is not to control his acts in this new 
sphere on which he has entered. Entire essays 
have been written on these words ; but no 



316 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



amount of exegetical acumen will remove from 
them the tone of gentle and needed rebuke 
which they suggest. His mother seems to have 
understood, partly at least, their meaning. She 
gave a right command to the servants, " What- 
soever he saith unto you, do it." 

Christ beautifully supplies the wants of others. 
This thought is clearly suggested by his entire 
conduct on this occasion. Perhaps he was influ- 
enced by the fear that the hosts might be humil- 
iated by the discovery that their supply of wine 
was exhausted. He also made most abundant 
provision for the wants of the waiting guests. It 
is not my purpose to go into the discussion of 
the question as to the kind of wine which Christ 
here made. It is sufficient to say that it cer- 
tainly was wine, and it was such wine as the 
governor of the feast considered remarkably 
good. I am well aware of the various interpre- 
tations that are given to these words ; but it does 
not seem necessary to go into the matter in 
detail. We are safe in saying that Christ did 
not make the poisonous stuff which is so often 
sold to-day as wine. The quantity was certainly 
very great. It is said that it was not less than 
one hundred and twenty-six gallons, or about 
four barrels. Perhaps this great quantity was 
needed to supply the wants of the company 
which probably was very large, as the fame of 
Jesus would doubtless bring the people from 
many parts of the country. If any wine were 
left over, this abundant provision would be in 
harmony with God's usual course, as he always 



CAN A OF GALILEE 317 

gives bountifully. Wine is not now extensively 
made or used in Palestine, and the influence of 
Mohammedans and Mohammedanism is dis- 
tinctly against the making or drinking of wine. 

Nature is always changing water into the 
juice of the grape ; and all that Christ did on 
this occasion was to hasten the process. This 
remark will apply to all of Christ's miracles. 
Health is the normal condition of the human 
body ; sickness is abnormal. Christ came to re- 
store physical and spiritual normality. Re- 
ligion is the restoration of spiritual normality. 
It is most interesting to see that in one sense 
miracles are not miraculous. Christ introduced 
in the performance of a miracle a higher law 
which for the time being held the lower law in 
check. It is a beautiful line given us by Cra- 
shaw : 

The conscious water saw its God and blushed. 

There was here, as in all of Christ's miracles, an 
acceleration of processes which are continually 
going forward in the ordinary operations of what 
we call natural law. There is a sphere known 
fully to God, but only partially to us, in which 
all natural law is supernatural and all super- 
natural law is natural law. 

Christ always gives the best last. This is a 
most sweet lesson which we learn from this 
miracle. This element in the miracle illus- 
trates the essential difference between all earthly 
things as compared with heavenly things. The 
devil gives his best first. The world smiles, and 



318 SUNDAY NIGHT" LECTURES 



then it stabs ; the world has honey in its lip, 
and death in its heart. Religion may now have 
temporary sorrow, but it will soon have unspeak- 
able joy. The first miracle of Moses turned 
water into blood ; the first miracle of Christ 
turned water into wine. Those who enter into 
the life of Christ shall find all human experi- 
ences transformed, by the alchemy of divine 
grace, into divine blessings, and earth itself shall 
at last be exchanged for heaven. 



XXX 



MOUNT OF BEATITUDES 

TOURNEYING from Cana of Galilee to Ti- 
berias, we first enter a beautiful plain, pass 
a few villages, one of which is L,ubieh, at which 
there are some ruins and rock tombs, and then 
on our left is the mountain known as Kurun 
Hattin, or Horns of Hattin. Its name comes 
from the fact that it consists of two peaks, or 
horns, Kurun meaning "horns." The two 
horns, or mounds, are supposed to resemble a 
camel's saddle, with its two horns or knobs. It 
rises with some suddenness from the fertile plain. 
We speak of the place as a mountain ; but it is 
really only a hill, as it rises only one thousand 
one hundred and seventy-eight feet above the 
level of the sea, and but about sixty feet above 
the level of the surrounding plain. It is distant 
about three miles from the Sea of Galilee, and is 
about one-third of a mile in length. It is a con- 
spicuous object in the view, as one looks back 
after he has gone far beyond the head of the Sea 
of Galilee and is near the waters of Merom. 

A more careful view of the hill shows that on 
it there are two elevations, those which I have 
already called horns. It seems as if one of these 
was the place chosen by our Lord as a place of 

319 



320 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



prayer. He then probably stepped down into 
the open space, called in Luke 6:17 the " plain." 
This is a natural platform between the knobs, and 
capable of seating many hundred people. Here 
it was our Lord spoke his immortal w r ords ; 
here it was also that he made his final choice of 
his disciples, although it is true that this place 
was not selected as the mount of Beatitudes until 
the time of the crusaders. Some interpreters 
make this the place of the feeding of the five 
thousand, as recorded in Matt. 14 : 15-21, but a 
better location can readily be given. 

Is this the true site of the delivery of our 
Lord's wonderful sermon? While, as we have 
said, the tradition goes back only to the time of 
the crusaders, much may be said in its favor. It 
is quite certain that none of the other mountains 
in the neighborhood so well answers the descrip- 
tions given of the entire event. This mountain, 
to a noticeable degree, stands apart ; it rises at 
once from the fertile table-land. The other 
mountains form a part of the range of hills which 
stand about the shore of the sea. This hill is 
uninhabited ; it might well, because of its isola- 
ted position, claim a distinct name, as separate 
from neighboring barriers of hills. So far as its 
separateness from any range of hills is concerned, 
Tabor might be the mountain of Beatitudes ; but 
it is too remote from related events to answer the 
requirements which would give it the honor that 
attaches to the pulpit of our Lord when he de- 
livered the most memorable sermon ever heard 
or read by mortals. 



MOUNT OF BEATITUDES 321 



Dean Stanley calls attention to the fact that 
the situation of this mountain so strikingly 
coincides with the gospel narrative as to oblige 
us to believe that this is the true place of the 
Sermon on the Mount. From the Sea of Galilee 
no other height is seen in this direction. The 
table-land from which it rises is easily accessible 
from the lake, and the walk from the plain to 
the top of the mount can be taken in a few 
minutes. The platform on the top is well 
adapted for the accommodation of a multitude ; 
and from one of the horns he could readily come 
down to address the people on the level place 
called the "plain," as already suggested. The 
mount is located so as to be central between the 
peasants of the Galilean hills and the fishermen 
on the lake. No place, as Dean Stanley suggests, 
could more fittingly furnish a solitary retreat for 
Christ and his disciples when they retired from 
the shore of the sea ; and no place could be more 
convenient for the crowds which gathered from 
" Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, from 
Judea, and from beyond Jordan." 1 

The place, or its neighborhood, is famous be- 
cause of the battle fought between Sultan Saladin 
and the crusaders, July 3 and 4, 1187. This is 
called the battle of Hattin. It was the death- 
blow to the power of the crusaders in Palestine ; 
and virtually crushed all their hopes of being 
able to conquer the land. It was their last strug- 
gle. Dr. George Adam Smith has given a stii- 



1 Matt. 4 : 25 j 5 : I ; Luke 6 : 17-20. 
V 



322 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ring description of this great battle. The cru- 
saders had neither shade nor water. It was a 
hot July day. Their enemy set fire to the scrub. 
The smoke blinded and choked the Christians. 
Their armor was heavy and hot. The foot- 
soldiers broke their ranks, dropped their wea- 
pons, and were finally ridden down by the Mos- 
lem cavalry. He also adds : " A militant and 
truculent Christianity, as false as the relics of 
the ( True Cross ' round which it was rallied, met 
its judicial end within view of the scenes where 
Christ proclaimed the gospel of peace, and went 
about doing good." With the coming of night- 
fall the captive princes were brought to the tent 
of the victorious Saladin. Among them were 
Guy of L<usignan, Raynald of Chatillon, the 
grand master of the Knights Templar, and the 
bishop of L,ydda, bearing the holy cross. Saladin 
received all but Raynald with the respect due 
their rank and their misfortunes. The knights 
were sold as slaves ; the Templars and Hospital- 
ers were executed. On Raynald he looked with 
scorn and hate ; and he himself slew him, as it 
was claimed that he had frequently broken faith 
with Saladin. This was a day of triumph for 
the Moslems. The power of the crusaders in 
the Holy Land was broken forever. A mighty 
army of noble knights and valorous soldiers, 
whose brave deeds have been honored in song 
and story, was captured and then imprisoned or 
slain. Nearly all Palestine, with the city of Je- 
rusalem, soon helplessly yielded to the Moslem 
yoke. 



MOUNT OF BEATITUDES 323 



Wonderful was the contrast between the fierce 
battle of Saladin and the delivery of our Lord's 
sermon on this mountain. Let us now study for 
a little this latter event which makes this moun- 
tain famous, and will make it immortal. The dis- 
course recorded by Matthew in chap. 5, 6, and 7, 
and that recorded by Luke in 6 : 20-49, are sup- 
posed by some to be distinct discourses and to 
have been uttered on different occasions. Those 
who hold this view affirm that they were deliv- 
ered in different places, that by Matthew being 
on a mountain and this by Luke on a plain. 
They also hold that they were delivered at differ- 
ent times, and also that they differ so materially 
in themselves as to give sufficient grounds for 
supposing them to be different in time and place. 
It is true that both seem complete and connected 
throughout ; that the one in Matthew has one 
hundred and seven verses, while the one in Luke 
has only thirty, and that about one-quarter of the 
latter is not found in the former. In Luke four 
11 woes " are connected with four " beatitudes " ; 
and while many points are similar, there are 
often marked differences. I frankly admit that 
Jesus might have delivered two discourses so 
nearly similar on quite different occasions. We 
know that a comparison of many passages shows 
that he often repeated his great sayings ; and it 
certainly would be remarkable if he had not 
often repeated the central truths and the heav- 
enly thoughts contained in this great discourse. 
All wise and great teachers often repeat them- 
selves ; it would be a reproach to a great thinker 



324 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



if he did not consider his best thoughts worthy 
of frequent repetition in various forms of expres- 
sion adapted to different occasions. 

But I believe that the discourse recorded by 
Matthew and that by Luke are identical, or, at 
least, are two accounts of the same sermon. 
Augustine, and following him many writers of 
the Latin Church, held that they were distinct. 
Most of the writers of the Greek Church hold 
that they were identical. Perhaps a middle 
view can properly be held. May not Christ 
have delivered the longer discourse given by 
Matthew on one of the horns of the mountain, 
and then after descending into the level space a 
little lower he may have given a synopsis of that 
discourse to the people gathered there ? This 
latter group may have been composed, in part 
at least, of different people. This summary of 
the longer discourse seems to have been followed 
by the selection of the twelve apostles, and also 
by the healing of the centurion's servant. 

I well know that some regard our Lord's Ser- 
mon on the Mount as a summary and sample of 
his teaching during the course of his public 
ministry. It is admitted that Matthew was in 
the habit of combining historical events and 
other matters which were of one kind, whether 
or not they were consecutive in time. It is 
readily admitted also that many of the sayings 
of this great sermon are found elsewhere in 
Christ's teachings. Christ spoke usually to 
shifting groups who were in need of substantially 
the same kind of truth. He was not obliged, so 



MOUNT OF BEATITUDES 325 



much as a settled pastor or lecturer, to utter new 
sermons or addresses 011 all public occasions ; he 
was neither ashamed nor afraid to repeat him- 
self. But he did not follow a slavish uniform- 
ity ; on the contrary, he introduced new matter 
as his wisdom suggested, and gave new forms to 
the truths he had already spoken. But the 
natural presumption is that Matthew is here re- 
cording what our L,ord spoke on some particular 
occasion. Perhaps we might regard it as the 
" ordination sermon " of the apostles. The 
simple historical form of the discourse, all infor- 
mation to the contrary being wanting, confirms 
us in the idea that it was delivered on some one 
special occasion. 

In this sermon we have a discussion of the 
nature, subjects, and principles of the kingdom 
of God. The time had not yet come for a state- 
ment of the full development of all these prin- 
ciples. But they were admirably adapted to 
produce repentance. They set up the high, the 
divine standard of conduct. They receive their 
full lustre from the light which shines from the 
cross. The sermon is not a full system of 
Christian doctrine — such a system must have 
had the death and resurrection of Christ as its 
basis. Neither are we to find in it specific rules 
for every form of moral duty. It is a statement 
of great principles clothed in figurative and 
paradoxical forms of speech. We must not sup- 
pose that it is in contradiction to the fuller state- 
ments of doctrine given by the apostles. Many 
errors were current as to the nature of Christ's 



326 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



kingdom. Christ teaches that the moral require- 
ments of law were not to be set aside, and the 
standard of duty was not to be lowered, but 
rather to be raised. He carries us back to the 
giving of the law on Mount Sinai. Doctor 
Alexander, in his commentary on Matthew, has 
well suggested that Christ corrects the ideas of 
the bigoted Jews, who thought the Gentiles could 
not be saved ; and of the revolutionary Jews, 
who thought all distinctions would be destroyed ; 
and also of the censorious Jews, whose religion 
consisted in criticising the faults of others and 
in obeying outward forms of righteousness. 
Chapter five shows for whom the kingdom is 
designed. Chapter six shows us that great relig- 
ious duties must be performed as unto God and 
not unto men ; and chapter seven rebukes Phari- 
saical hypocrisy and exhorts us as to true self- 
denial. 

Here the Christ of the throne stands conspicu- 
ously forward. The old law took cognizance of 
outward acts ; this interpretation of the law 
takes cognizance of inward thoughts. He is a 
foolish man who says, thinking by so saying to 
despise the doctrine of the atonement, that he 
wishes simply to live by the Sermon on the 
Mount. He was a wiser man who said : " God 
save me on the day of judgment from the Ser- 
mon on the Mount." Who can live up to it? 
Rightly understood, this sermon is an exhorta- 
tion to repentance, an exhortation to trust Christ, 
an exhortation to follow him in self-denial and 
finally to glory. 



MOUNT OF BEATITUDES 2>%7 



Marvelous sermon ! It will outlive all other 
literature. Even that of the twentieth century 
will not come up to it. So we think and feel as 
we drive on with the Horns of Hattin behind 
us, and soon have before us our first glimpse of 
the sacred Sea of Galilee. 

Striking are the contrasts between the work 
of the crusaders on the one side, and that of 
Christ and his apostles on the other. The 
crusaders have gone from the sphere of activity, 
and are obscured in the shadows of legend and 
history. They never really accomplished the 
purpose which their fanatical zeal inspired. God, 
however, overruled their fanaticism and igno- 
rance for the progress of humanity. The min- 
gling of many civilizations and peoples resulted, 
in many indirect ways, in the advancement of 
civilization and Christianity. But so far as its 
primary purpose was concerned, the Crusades 
were a gigantic failure. In Christ and his 
words, and in his apostles and their words, there 
is what has been finely called a " perpetual con- 
temporaneousness." Christ spoke for all cen- 
turies and climes. He and his apostles are more 
thoroughly living to-day than when they were 
on the earth. They are now moving irresistibly 
to the conquest of the world for truth and God. 
Christ spoke apparently unmeditated words to 
Galilean peasants on this Galilean mountain. 
Great orators, philosophers, and historians, have 
labored long on a few sentences that their words 
might be endowed with immortality. Christ 
spoke for the hour, the place, and the audience, 



328 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



simple sentences ; but they will live when all 
other literature has perished. Never did man 
speak as Jesus Christ spoke in the Sermon on 
the Mount. To-day social scientists are striving 
to bring their systems up to the level of this 
marvelous discourse ; they are striving to incar- 
nate the teachings of this divine sermon in their 
systems of social philosophy. To-day a coarser 
grade of socialists, rightly or wrongly, hiss at the 
mention of the church ; but to-day this same 
class of socialists will cheer the name of Jesus 
Christ. He is the world's Prophet, Priest, and 
King. He sways the sceptre of unlimited power. 
That mountain in Galilee was a throne of 
potency and splendor. The most advanced 
thought of to-day has not come up to the simple 
and profound teaching of that discourse. In it 
Christ formulated some of the deepest principles 
that have ever occupied the mind of man. Be- 
cause of that sermon we crown him as the fore- 
most thinker the world has ever known. Amid 
the smoke of the battle of Hattin we see Saladin 
and the crusaders ; the smoke of battle clears 
away and Saladin and the crusaders, with all 
their pomp and glory, disappear. Looking to 
that mountain now, we see " no man save Jesus 
only " ; and when the smoke of all the battles of 
the world shall have cleared away we shall see 
Jesus Christ on his throne, regnant and glorious 
for evermore. 



XXXI 



THE SEA OF GAULEE 

MOST deeply interesting was the ride from 
the mount of Beatitudes to the Sea of 
Galilee. There is not a sheet of water on the 
globe which I so greatly desired to see as the 
Sea of Galilee. It rejoiced in the presence and 
submitted to the power of Jesus Christ. In its 
waters were mirrored the face and form of the 
Son of God. The hope of seeing it was in 
my thought for years, and it now gave zest and 
charm to this trip over the hills of Judea, Sama- 
ria, and Galilee. And yet, as I knew I was ap- 
proaching it, there was a sort of unwillingness to 
have the sight for which I had long waited. I 
refused to look up until a spot was reached 
where the view would be the finest. " Look 
now," said Abdallah, my excellent dragoman. 
At his words I looked with strangely com- 
mingled emotions, and had the magnificent view 
of the sea and its surroundings which all trav- 
elers in the Holy Land get who approach it by 
this road. 

Some describe the view in terms of great ex- 
travagance; others equally depreciate it. The 
truth lies between the extremes. Many having 
in mind only the desolate wastes, the barren 

329 



330 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



hills, and the extent of the water, will tell you 
that lakes in England, Scotland, Ireland, and 
Switzerland, far surpass this view. In several 
respects they are quite right. But the thought 
of Christ's presence glorifies mountain, shore, 
and sea, and makes this the most interesting and 
transcendently beautiful place on this globe. 
This lake, with this thought in mind, is not to 
be compared to any other water, nor this vicinity 
with any other region in the world. Much de- 
pends upon the traveler's point of view ; but 
even apart from the association of the lake with 
the name and work of Christ, its intrinsic fea- 
tures are such that one cannot but be charmed 
with them, or at least not disappointed, simply 
for their own sake. 

Permit me to paint the picture as seen from 
this vantage point. The lake, from the town of 
Tiberias on the right to the ruins of Capernaum 
on the left, is distinctly seen. This clear blue 
expanse of water is very beautiful. Receding 
from the shore are banks, sometimes steeply and 
sometimes gently sloping. On the opposite 
shore are the irregular hills, now presenting pre- 
cipitous cliffs and now rolling backward more 
gently. They are, for the most part, bare and 
barren ; but they are variegated in tone and 
tint. Here are the mountains of Galilee, and 
away to the north, as the glorious limit to so 
many pictures in Palestine, is the magnificent 
Hermon, now looking grander, kindlier, and 
statelier than ever before. In the evening light 
this combination of water, verdant slopes, bold 



THE SEA OF GALILEE 33 1 



hills, and the snow-clad Hermon, makes a pic- 
ture of loveliness rarely surpassed. Everywhere 
the thought of Christ is present to the Christian 
heart. He trod those waters, and they were as 
a pavement of adamant beneath his feet. He 
commanded these waves, and they obeyed his 
voice. He preached on these shores. Yonder 
the wretched maniac was healed, and down 
these rugged hills the swine ran into the lake. 
All about these shores are some of the most 
sacred scenes in our Lord's ministry. The very 
air seems charged with his words. Hill and 
valley seem to be written over with memories of 
his blessed presence. A whole volume might 
be written in giving an account of his heavenly 
ministry along the shores of this divinely hon- 
ored sea. Never shall I forget the moment 
when my eyes first took in this sweet picture. 
I could almost see the King in his beauty ; I 
really saw one part of the land which to me so 
long had been so far off. 

The ride to the town of Tiberias was marked by 
the steep descent and by the sudden and great 
change in the temperature familiar to all trav- 
elers ; and soon we were within the old and 
walled town of Tiberias on the shore of the his- 
toric Sea of Galilee. Let us get a clear concep- 
tion of the Sea of Galilee, or Kinnert, a name 
derived from the supposed likeness of the form 
of the lake to a lute. 

Its Various Names. — It is called Sea of 
Galilee because situated in the province of Gal- 



332 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ilee. It is called Sea of Tiberias, because so 
important a city as Tiberias is on its shore. Its 
more ancient name was Sea of Chinnereth or 
Chimeroth (Num. 34 : 11 ; Josh. 12 : 3), prob- 
ably from a town or district of this name on its 
border. In Luke 5 : 1, we see that it was also 
called the Lake of Gennesaret. This word 
means " Garden of the Prince " ; and was ap- 
plied to the crescent-shaped plain on the western 
shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was about three 
miles long and over one mile wide. Now it is 
surrounded by barren and rugged hills ; but in 
Christ's time it was a fertile region, producing 
many varieties of fruits, and was the scene of 
many of Christ's miracles, and perhaps of the 
parable of the Sower. In Isa. 9 : 1, the Sea of 
Galilee is referred to simply as "the sea." Its 
local name now is Bahr Tabariyeh. It is about 
thirty-five miles south of Mount Hermon, twenty- 
seven miles east of the Mediterranean, and sixty- 
five in a straight line north of the Dead Sea. 

Its Description. — I saw it both at noonday, 
sunset, sunrise, and moonlight. In the morning 
the surrounding hills were brilliant in color ; in 
the evening the shadows deepened until sea, 
hills, and sky were seen in the softest, sweet- 
est tones ; and in the moonlight all inequalities 
were harmonized and the peace of God rested 
on mountain and sea. Once I saw it ruffled in 
a slight storm and all the memories of Christ 
and his disciples filled my soul. Perhaps the 
best views are at Tiberias, looking toward Caper- 



THE SEA OE GALILEE 



333 



naum. This view I had for hours in the soft 
evening light as I sat alone by the shore near 
the center of the town of Tiberias. The lake 
is pear-shaped, the broad end being toward the 
north, or we may say that it is harp-shaped, 
with the bulge to the northwest. It is between 
twelve and thirteen miles long, and between six 
and seven miles wide, and is almost embosomed 
among the hills. The Jordan flows into it on 
the north, — a muddy stream, — coloring the lake 
for a mile from its mouth, and out of it on the 
south, being then pure and bright. It has been 
called " a sparkling diamond suspended by a 
silver thread." Its depth is about one hundred 
and sixty to two hundred and thirty feet ; its 
level varies at different seasons, but its depres- 
sion below the surface of the Mediterranean 
Sea may be put at six hundred and eighty-two 
feet, although often it is said to be seven hun- 
dred feet. Dr. George Adam Smith calls atten- 
tion to the remarkable fact that the greater part 
of our Lord's ministry was accomplished at 
what may be called the bottom of a trench six 
hundred and eighty feet below the level of the 
sea. The lake was really the center of the trade 
of the province. Here then was the touch with 
the commerce, the industry, and the powerful 
Greek influences of the time. Near Tiberias 
the water is polluted with sewage, but elsewhere 
it is entirely fit for drinking purposes, although it 
is somewhat brackish, which brackishness is due 
to the salt springs on the shore. A bath in the 
lake is very enjoyable, as in it are many warm 



334 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



springs. Earthquakes here are not so frequent 
as in Japan, but they are not uncommon. In 
1837 there was one which did much damage to 
the town of Tiberias. Storms are still frequent ; 
the mountains and valleys on the shore give the 
wind the opportunity to sweep down and still 
to strike the sea with as much violence and as 
little warning as in the days of the disciples. 
The sea winds blow over this basin, and the sun 
beats down with great power. Cold currents, as 
they pass from the west, are drawn to the sea 
through the funnel-like gorges that open on the 
lake. Thus come the sudden storms which lit- 
erally smite the lake, as they are described in 
the Gospel narrative. The region is famous for 
such storms. 

The wind, the tempest roaring high, 
The tumult of a tropic sky. 

The Shores. — The hills which enclose the 
sea are of limestone, basalt, and volcanic rock, 
and are from five hundred to seventeen hundred 
feet high. Often they come near the water, leav- 
ing only a pebbly beach between their base and 
the water. On the northwest they recede so as to 
form the beautiful plain of Gennesaret, of which 
mention has been made. The outline of the 
hills, especially on the east side, is not broken 
by any prominent peak, and the eye sweeps 
north to Hermon which stands out so sharply in 
the clear atmosphere as to seem but a dozen, in- 
stead of thirty-five miles away. On the north 
the shore line, which usually is regular, is broken 



THE SEA OF GAULEE 335 



into a series of bays of remarkable beauty, but 
especially so at Gennesaret, where the white beach 
is covered with its myriads of shells. The town 
of Tiberias is in a recess of the hills on the 
western shore ; near the mouth of the Jordan is 
the swampy plain of El Batihah, now frequented, 
Captain Wilson informs us, by wild boars. This 
place was the scene of a naval battle between 
the Romans and the Jews, fought on the lake after 
the taking of Tarichese by the Romans, when 
Vespasian and Titus were victorious over the 
Jews, and in which Josephus was so injured as 
to necessitate his removal to Capernaum. The 
depression of the lake causes the tropical heat 
here experienced ; it also accounts for the semi- 
tropical vegetation on the shores. Excellent 
fish abound in the lake, including several trop- 
ical species which now, as in Christ's day (Luke 
5 : 6), are seen in large shoals. Great interest 
attaches to Chromis Simonis, as they are called, 
the male of which carries the eggs and the young 
in its mouth ; and also to the Coracinus of Jose- 
phus and the Barbur of the Arabs, which gives 
out a sound. 

Boats abound on the lake. Many travelers, 
partly because of the sacred associations, prefer 
to go by boat from Tiberias to Capernaum. 
Boats can be had large enough to hold from ten 
to twelve passengers in addition to the rowers. 
Both sides of the lake can, of course, be best 
seen from a boat ; and in this way the gospel 
scenes also can be made more real than when 
one rides or walks on the shore. But a careful 



336 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



bargain ought to made as the charges are apt to 
be exorbitant. 

Large Population in Early Days. — In 
Christ's time the ships and boats on the lake 
were very numerous. Josephus uses the phrase 
" Climbing up into their ships," indicating that 
some of their vessels were large. At that time 
there were nine considerable towns on the shores 
of the lake. Among these were Bethsaida, Caper- 
naum, Chorazin, Tiberias, and Magdala. These 
towns contained a large and busy population. 
Dr. Selah Merrill endorses the strong statements 
of Josephus regarding the great size of the popu- 
lation of Galilee as a whole, and also the state- 
ment mentioned above, that many vessels then 
enlivened the lake. Tiberias is now the only 
town visible, and there are only three or four 
small villages on the coast. Dr. Merrill also en- 
dorses what Josephus says of the beauty and 
fruitfulness of the plain of Gennesaret. Josephus 
gives Galilee two hundred and four towns and 
villages, the smallest of which had fifteen thou- 
sand inhabitants. But nearly all these towns 
are now indistinguishable masses of ruins. Gali- 
lee was only from fifty to sixty miles long and 
from thirty to forty wide, but it is believed that 
at least three millions of people lived there. The 
lake was then white with sails and plowed 
with thousands of keels. The shores of this sea 
were vastly different in Christ's day. Then 
there were great woods on the banks ; now there 
is not a tree. Then there were noble gardens ; 



THE SEA OF GALILEE 337 



now there are only marshes. Then there were 
prosperous towns and cities ; now there are only 
nameless ruins. This beautiful lake charms 
every sense. It " is at once food, drink, and air, 
a rest to the eye, coolness in the heat, an escape 
from the crowd, and a facility of travel very 
welcome in so exhausting a climate. Even those 
who do not share its memories of Christ feel an 
enthusiasm for it. The rabbis said : 1 Jehovah 
hath created seven seas, but the Sea of Gen- 
nesaret is his delight.' n 

Connection with Christ. — Christ's presence 
hallows the sea and its shores. He looked on 
its quiet beauty ; he stilled its wild waves ; he 
glorified its rocky shores. On its bosom several 
apostles were called to be " fishers of men " ; in 
its waters Peter sank until Christ saved him from 
a watery grave ; and on its shores Christ met his 
disciples after his resurrection, in the gray dawn 
of the morning, while a miraculous meal was 
prepared on the shore. My heart, especially one 
evening as I sat alone on a housetop in Tiberias, 
after all others in the hotel had gone to bed, took 
in the sweet and sacred associations of this hal- 
lowed spot. There was no spot in Palestine, ex- 
cepting Gethsemane, I more longed to see, and 
I can sympathize with the pure-souled Mc- 
Cheyne as he sings : 

How pleasant to me thy deep blue wave, 

O Sea of Galilee ! 
For the glorious One who came to save, 

Hath often stood by thee. 

w 



338 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Graceful around thee the mountains meet, 

Thou calm reposing sea ; 
But oh, far more the beautiful feet 

Of Jesus walked o' er thee ! 

O Saviour, gone to God' s right hand, 

Yet the same Saviour still, 
Graved on thy heart is this lovely strand 

And every fragrant hill ! 



XXXII 



TOWN OF TIBERIAS 



HE fact that Christ probably never visited 



Tiberias, takes from the town much of 
the interest which it would have if it were more 
closely associated with his name. The town is 
nowhere mentioned in the New Testament. 
The name is given but as applied to the sea and 
not to the town. It is interesting to observe 
that the name is given by John only. I was 
particularly fortunate in having arrived in Ti- 
berias on the first day of the feast of Taber- 
nacles, which chanced to be October 3, 1895. I 
saw houses and yards decorated with branches 
in readiness for the observance of the feast. 
Booths were erected in many yards and courts 
in memory of the booths in which the children 
of Israel lived while in the wilderness. While 
in Shechem, Nazareth, and other places, I saw 
similar preparations in progress ; but here I was 
in the midst of the actual celebration of the 
feast. 

Travelers who have tents generally pitch them 
on the bank of the lake to the south of the town. 
Accommodations can be had in the Greek mon- 
astery, and also in two or three fairly good hotels. 
All Palestine and Syria are noted for the num- 




339 



34-0 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ber and virulence of their fleas, but Tiberias 
bears a specially bad reputation. The Arabs say 
that here the king of the fleas resides ; but I 
can, with many other travelers say, that if he 
resides in Tiberias it is certain that he has a 
vigorous viceroy in all parts of the land. With 
the great numbers of dogs, camels, and donkeys, 
living practically as one family with the people, 
and with the filth of centuries mingled with 
that of the present, it could not be otherwise 
than that fleas should abound. 

The History of Tiberias. — Probably Gali- 
lee attained the height of its prosperity about 
the time of Christ. For a time its chief town 
was Sepphoris, but the splendor-loving Herod 
Antipas determined to build a new and splendid 
capital. His dominions then included Perea 
and also Galilee, which was famed for its fertil- 
ity, its rich pastures, and its luxuriant forests. 
Herod, therefore, built Tiberias and named it in 
honor of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. It has 
been remarked that the Herods generally rebuilt 
old towns, but Herod Antipas was an exception. 
He selected this site probably, in part at least, 
because of its proximity to the baths, then 
famous in all parts of the Roman Empire. For 
a time it was the capital of Galilee, and many 
Greeks and Romans here resided. Some rab- 
binical writers say that Tiberias occupies the 
site of a place called Rakkath, an ancient town 
of Naphtali ; but others affirm that this state- 
ment is without foundation. But as Rakkath 



TOWN OF TIBERIAS 



341 



means a "strip" or "coast," the statement may 
be true. Josephus tells us that the building of 
the city began between A. D. 16 and 19, and was 
completed A. d. 22. Its ancient name is still 
preserved in the modern name Tabariyeh, given 
both to the town and the lake. In digging for 
the foundations of the town a burial place was 
discovered ; this fact prevented Jews from living 
there in large numbers in the early day. Ac- 
cording to their law, contact with graves made 
the persons unclean for seven days. Herod, 
therefore, was obliged to people the town with 
beggars and foreigners of many classes, and as a 
result the people of Tiberias were of a very 
mixed character. 

Grseco-Roman predominated in the architec- 
ture of the town ; even its municipal laws were 
Roman. It had a race-course and a palace 
adorned with figures of animals. Its decorations 
were thus an abomination to the Jews. During 
the Jewish war Josephus, as commander-in-chief 
of Galilee, fortified Tiberias. But, as Baedeker 
says, the inhabitants surrendered to Vespasian 
and the Jews were permitted to live in Tiberias. 
Northwest of the town were the headquarters 
of the Romans, and from that part they under- 
took the siege of Tarichese and defeated the Jews, 
as we have already seen, in a naval battle. After 
the destruction of Jerusalem, Tiberias became 
an important Jewish town. The Sanhedrin was 
transferred from Sepphoris to Tiberias ; and the 
school of the Talmud here developed in opposi- 
tion to Christianity. About the year A. d. 200, 



342 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



the famous Jewish scholar, Rabbi Juda Hak- 
Kadosh, published here the ancient traditional 
law known as the Mishna, and also the Masorah, 
or body of traditions as to the Old Testament 
text. Here in the first half of the fourth cen- 
tury the Palestinian Gemara, known as the Je- 
rusalem Talmud, came into existence, and be- 
tween the sixth and seventh centuries the west- 
ern, or Tiberian, and received pointing of the 
Hebrew Bible. St. Jerome learned Hebrew 
from a rabbi of Tiberias. Christianity struggled 
hard for a foothold here ; but bishoprics of Ti- 
berias are mentioned in the fifth century. The 
Arabs conquered the town in 637 ; but under the 
crusaders Christianity was recognized and bish- 
oprics re-established. It was the attack of Sa- 
ladin on Tiberias which made his great victory 
at Hattin possible ; and the day after that battle 
the countess of Tripoli was obliged to surrender 
the castle of Tiberias. The town has been at 
different times in possession of the Persians, 
Arabs, and Turks. 

The modern town lies on a narrow, undulat- 
ing plain, two miles and a quarter wide, between 
the high table-land and the shore of the lake. It 
was largely destroyed on January 1, 1837, by an 
earthquake, but it still has a population of about 
four thousand, one-half of whom are Jews, who 
have thirteen synagogues, two of which I vis- 
ited. There are about one thousand Moslems, 
two hundred orthodox Greeks, a few Latins, and 
some Protestant mission stations and churches. 
The Free Church of Scotland has a hospital, 



TOWN OF TIBERIAS 



343 



with one of whose physicians I formed a pleas- 
ant acquaintance. The church of the Greek 
Catholics was remodeled in 1869, and it is 
claimed to be on the site of the miraculous 
draught of fishes. It is situated on the northern 
side of the town and near the bank of the lake. 
The town is unhealthful ; fevers abound, as does 
also filth of all kinds, the former being a natural 
consequence of the latter. The walls are in 
great part heaps of ruins, the castle is much 
shattered, and the whole town has an aspect of 
filth and wretchedness, though of late its ap- 
pearance has improved. South of the town are 
many remains of the ancient cities which once 
stood there. 

Attention has already been called to the large 
number of Jews in Tiberias, perhaps two thou- 
sand, or one-half of the entire population. The 
fact that there are thirteen synagogues is proof 
of the great number of Jews. There are espe- 
cially two classess of Jews, those from Poland 
and those from Spain. The former are called 
Ashkenazim and the latter Sephardim. Most 
of these Jews lived on alms sent from Europe. 
They wear large black hats ; many also wear 
their hair in ringlets. The Spanish Jews partic- 
ularly are pale, effeminate, and sickly looking. 
It would be an unpardonable act of politeness, 
at the expense of truth, should one say that they 
are handsome. Two synagogues are on the 
bank of the lake. It is an interesting fact that 
the study of the Talmud still flourishes in Ti- 
berias. A visit to this city gives the traveler in 



344 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



many ways a breath of ancient and foreign life 
such as he can get in no other part of Palestine, 
or perhaps of the world. Here one is brought 
face to face with ancient habits and thoughts, 
and with peoples usually for the most part out- 
side of our ordinary relations with our fellow- 
men. 

The burial ground of the Jews is regarded by 
Jews in all parts of the world as peculiarly 
sacred ; and there is good cause for this sanctity. 
Here are buried two of their most celebrated 
men of what may be called modern times — 
Jochanan and Maimonides. The latter was a 
scholar and philosopher whose learning is ac- 
knowledged by all intelligent Jews and Chris- 
tians throughout the world. His name, if given 
in full, would occupy a line on a very wide 
page. He was born in Cordova, March 30, 
1 135. His father was a very learned man and 
the author of important works in Arabic and 
in Hebrew. He was his son's first instructor. 
Later, under the most distinguished Arabic mas- 
ters of the time, Maimonides studied Greek 
philosophy, the science of medicine, and theol- 
ogy. In 1 148 Abd-al-Mumen took Cordova, and 
soon afterward subjected all Andalusia, and all 
Jews and Christians were forced either to profess 
Islam or to leave the country. For more than 
sixteen years Maimonides outwardly observed 
the Mohammedan faith, but was still secretly a 
Jew. But, finally, the family went to Cairo. 
Soon the great medical knowledge of Maimon- 
ides gave him influence with the reigning sul- 



TOWN OF TIBERIAS 



345 



tan of Egypt. Maimonides finally became the 
founder of a rational scriptural exegesis. Ter- 
rible contests between rival schools of religion 
and philosophy arose ; but Maimonides only 
witnessed the beginning of the fierce conflicts. 
He was named "The Great Eagle," "The Light 
of Two Worlds," and the "Light of the Age." 
He founded a college in Alexandria, in which 
he delivered lectures on philosophy and the 
Jewish law. He died in Egypt, December 13, 
1204, and was sincerely mourned in the East 
and in the West ; and here in this town of Ti- 
berias he is buried. His tomb is a little north 
of the town, beneath the new road to Nazareth. 
Near it are the tombs of Rabbi Ami and Rabbi 
Jochanan, and farther up the hill is the tomb of 
Rabbi Akiba, whose name is known in connec- 
tion with the revolt of Barcochab. The tomb 
of the celebrated Talmudist, Rabbi Ineir, is near 
the school of the Ashkenazim, which is beyond 
the baths. 

Ruins OF Baths. — Along the shore stretch 
the ruins of the ancient town, which are now 
mostly heaps of rubbish. The spacious castle 
is now entirely in ruins ; but from this point a 
fine view is obtained of the town, the beautiful 
lake, and the mountains stretching away to the 
north. Attention is called by some writers to 
the fact that here we first meet with the black 
basalt as building material, which w r as invariably 
used beyond the Jordan. 

The hot baths are nearly three miles to the 



346 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



south of the town, lying about a mile from the 
south end of the ancient city wall, with its re- 
mains of walls, buildings and aqueducts, and 
broken columns. These baths are supposed to 
be an infallible cure for rheumatism and cutane- 
ous diseases. Amid all the wrecks of the neigh- 
borhood, these baths alone have preserved their 
name and fame. They have ministered through 
the changing ages to the changeless sorrows of 
humanity. Patients still come to them from all 
parts of Palestine and Syria. June and July are 
the months when the greatest numbers are pres- 
ent. But for these baths probably the Jews 
would never have been reconciled to this banned 
city. It is now one of their four sacred cities in 
the world. The temperature of the most famous 
spring is from 131 to 142 Fahr. Patients 
sometimes tent near the springs. Several 
springs flow off unused into the lake, leaving 
a greenish deposit on the shores. The water 
smells of sulphur and is bitter to the taste. 
During the earthquake of 1839 the springs were 
extremely hot and the supply of water was un- 
usually abundant. Most of the patients bathe 
in a common basin, and when the steam sub- 
sides sufficiently to permit the patient to see the 
filth of the place, he will need all his nerve to 
take a bath, even if he were sure that he would 
be cured of whatsoever disease he might have. 

The books tell us some of the legends con- 
nected with Tiberias. The Jews love to repeat 
the one which declares that when the Messiah 
comes he will emerge from the lake, gather his 



TOWN OF TIBERIAS 



347 



people at Tiberias, and then go in triumph to 
Safed, where his throne will be established and 
he will reign forever in great glory and splen- 
dor. 

Perhaps the reason why Christ avoided Ti- 
berias is that it was a favorite residence of the 
crafty and unscrupulous Herod Antipas, who 
saw Christ only a little time before his cruci- 
fixion. We know that he generally avoided 
these half-Greek cities. He was more at home 
with the common people than with officials and 
courtiers. Capernaum and Bethsaida must have 
been far more healthful than Tiberias. But Ti- 
berias abides while these other cities have per- 
ished. Although Christ paid no visit to the baths 
at Tiberias, as he did to the pool of Bethesda, 
there is no doubt but that many patients brought 
to the baths at Tiberias and who were not 
healed, were finally laid at Christ's feet and 
from him received healing to body and soul. Be- 
cause of Christ's life and spirit there is now a 
hospital and a staff of physicians in Tiberias. 
Christ is still the inspiration to all noblest deeds 
in blessing men and honoring God. 



XXXIII 



FROM TIBERIAS TO TEL HUM 

E left Tiberias before the break of day. 



V V Soon it broke over the Sea of Galilee 
and its waters and surrounding hills were aglow 
with the splendors of the morning sun. We 
could go to the upper end of the lake either by 
boat or by the road, which is on the side of the 
hills, and is about thirty to forty feet above the 
level of the water. At times the space from the 
path to the shore is very steep and rocky. Soon 
Tiberias was hidden behind a rocky corner of 
the elevated shore ; but from our saddles, as we 
rode on the edge of the bluff, we enjoyed a su- 
perb view of the opposite shore, the head of the 
lake, and the country both to the north and the 
south. The twin peaks, or horns, of Hattin 
were visible on our left as we rode along. On 
our right were several warm and saltish springs, 
and we observed also arrangements for irrigat- 
ing portions of the land in the vicinity. Al- 
most opposite Tiberias are Wady Fik and the 
ruins of Gamala. A fortress once stood here 
which was garrisoned by Josephus, but taken 
by Vespasian, A. D. 69; and not fewer, it is said, 
than ten thousand perished when the garrison 
was captured, many of whom leaped from the 




348 



FROM TIBERIAS TO TEt HUM 349 

walls and fell down the precipice. We reached 
on our left, about three miles from Tiberias, the 
peculiarly miserable village of Mejdel, which is 
identical with Magdala, the birthplace of Mary 
Magdalene, Mary of Magdala. Perhaps also it 
is identical with Migdal-el of the tribe of Naph- 
tali. 1 Some place Taricheae here, a town 
already mentioned as playing an important part 
in the war with Rome ; but others, and perhaps 
with good reason, place this town near the south 
end of the lake of Tiberias. 

Taricheae was almost of equal importance 
with Tiberias. In Pliny's day it gave its name 
to the lake. It was a center of industry and 
commerce. In the days of Josephus it was fa- 
mous for its Jewish patriotism. The only echo 
of the name now is found at the south end of 
the lake. It is a Greek word, and is said by 
Doctor Smith to mean "pickling places." It 
was a place famous for curing the fish which 
the lake supplied. These fish were sent all 
through the Roman world ; great quantities were 
taken to Jerusalem to the feasts, and were sent 
in barrels round the Mediterranean. Taricheae 
is not mentioned in the Gospels, but neither is 
Tiberias, nor other places south of Gennesaret. 
It would seem that neither Christ nor the disci- 
ples ever visited this region at the south end of 
the lake. 

Mejdel, or Magdala, is now a wretched hamlet 
of some twenty mud or stone huts. On top of 



ijosh. 19 : 3 8. 



3 50 SUNDAY NIGH? LECTURES 



these huts we saw the booths built of poles and 
branches of trees, and placed about three feet 
from the roof of the huts, in order to protect the 
wretched peasants from the well-nigh ubiquitous 
fleas and other vermin. Nowhere else in Pal- 
estine did I see more wretched-looking people 
than in this hamlet. But its connection with 
Mary has made the name immortal. It is most 
unfortunate that the name Magdalen now sug- 
gests elements of character, or want of charac- 
ter, which ought never to be associated with the 
name of this woman. There is not a word in 
the Gospels to justify this association with the 
name of Mary Magdalene, which simply means 
Mary of Magdala. A cruel wrong to historic 
truth and to womanly honor has been done to 
this woman and her place on the pages of the 
New Testament. 

There is a small plain below Magdala to 
whose vicinity our Lord probably came when 
in Matt. 15 : 39 it is said, after the record of the 
miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesns ''sent 
away the multitude, and took ship and came 
into the coasts of Magdala." The connection 
of Mark 8 : 10 with the passage just quoted, 
would seem to indicate that the village named 
Dalmanutha was near Magdala ; and about a 
mile distant are copious fountains and ruins 
which probably mark the place where Dalma- 
nutha stood. The lake attains its greatest width 
at Magdala, being about seven, some say nearly 
eight, miles wide, and opposite Magdala is 
Khersa or Gergesa. A few ruined buildings are 



FROM TIBERIAS TO TEI, HUM 35I 



here on the shore of the lake. About a mile 
south of this place the hills approach within a 
few feet of the shore, although generally they 
are recessed from one-half to three-quarters of a 
mile from the water's edge. There is here the 
" steep place down which the herd of swine ran 
violently into the sea, and so were choked." 
It was at Gergesa that the men possessed with 
the devils, coming out of the tombs, met Jesus. 1 
Of all our Lord's miracles but two were destruc- 
tive, those connected with the destruction of 
the swine and the fig tree. A careful study of 
both fully justifies our Lord's acts ; especially is 
this true in the case of the swine, the miracle 
which has excited the sharpest criticism. Near 
here Christ fed the five thousand, and from near 
this point seeing his disciples toil in rowing on 
the lake, " Jesus went unto them, walking on 
the sea." 2 The different readings in the three 
Gospels regarding the locality of Gergesa have 
occasioned harmonists considerable difficulty ; 
but the similarity of the name Khersa to Ger- 
gesa gives us a strong reason for accepting Mat- 
thew's record as correct, when he speaks of 
Christ as coming into the country of the Ger- 
gesenes, while Luke and John say into that of 
the Gadarenes. Eusebius and Origen are 
authority for the statement that there was once 
a village called Gergesa on the shore of the lake. 
It has also been suggested by several writers 
that the apparent discrepancy may be removed 



1 Matt. 8 : 28-34. 



2 Matt. 14 : 25. 



352 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



by the supposition that Gergesa was under the 
jurisdiction of Gadara. 

A short distance beyond Magdala, and still on 
the left, the hills recede westward from the lake, 
and here is the Wady Hainan, or " valley of the 
doves." It descends from Khan Iyubiyeh and 
from the Horns of Hattin, and it is crossed by 
the caravan route between Nazareth and Da- 
mascus. A mile and a half farther on are the 
ruins of the castle of Kal'at Ibn Ma'an, near 
which were the strongly fortified caverns of 
Irbid, the ancient Arbela. The cliffs here are 
nearly one thousand two hundred feet high. 
The castle consisted of caverns in the rock ; 
here were connecting passages, protecting walls, 
and several cisterns. This unique castle was 
long a haunt of fierce robbers, and it was to 
them an inaccessible fastness. These robbers 
were long the terror of the whole vicinity. 
Herod the Great finally overcame them by let- 
ting down with ropes cages filled with soldiers, 
and the caverns were afterward occupied by her- 
mits. Irbid, or Arbela, is probably the Beth- 
Arbel, meaning " house of ambush," of Scrip- 
ture. It seems from early times to have been 
famous as a stronghold. In Hosea 10 : 14, we 
read: "All thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as 
Shalman spoiled Beth-Arbel in the day of 
battle." 

L,and of Gennesaret. — Shortly after leav- 
ing Magdala we enter upon the tract of land 
now called El-Ghuweir, the " Little Ghor." It 



from Tiberias to tki< hum 353 



is ancient Gennesaret. The name is supposed to 
mean " valley of the flowers " ; or, as I have 
elsewhere suggested, " gardens of the prince." 
The plain is about three miles long and one mile 
wide. The soil is extremely fertile and the en- 
tire plain is copiously watered ; but the greater 
part of the plain is now overrun with rank 
weeds. The cultivated parts supply the markets 
of Damascus and Beyrut with the best melons 
and cucumbers grown in Palestine. The banks 
of the lake and the brooks were fringed with 
oleanders and nubk ; and in some places these 
shrubs, and the cignus cactus, grow in such pro- 
fusion that traveling among them is well-nigh 
impossible. In the brooks there are tortoises 
and crayfish, and mussels are found in the lake. 
There are many large springs ; the most noted 
is that one whose name in English is "the 
Round Spring." It is partly concealed among 
the bushes, but its basin is thirty yards in diam- 
eter and its water is abundant, clear, and cold. 

Many writers on Palestine quote the descrip- 
tion given by Josephus 1 of this plain. He calls 
it the "ambition of nature," and goes on to give 
a truly glowing account of the plain. He also 
informs us that "the people of the country call 
it Capharnaum," a remark which helps us as to 
the identity of the site of Capernaum. Probably 
it was on the beach of the plain of Gennesaret 
that in the gray dawn of the morning the disci- 
ples, having toiled all night and caught nothing, 



l Vo\. III., Chap. X., Sec. 8. ] 
X 



354 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



saw a dim figure on the shore. Then a voice, 
strange and yet familiar, called to them : " Chil- 
dren, have ye any meat? " Then it was that the 
loving John recognized the Lord, and the im- 
petuous Peter leaped into the sea to reach the 
Master ; and there on the shore the mysterious 
fire burned, the meal was spread, and the Lord 
bade the disciples to come and dine. Then and 
there it was that Peter made his three-fold con- 
fession, and was reinstated in the apostolic office. 
Beside a fire in the dawning of the morning he 
had thrice denied his Lord ; and at a fire in the 
dawning of the morning he thrice makes his 
confession, is thrice tested, and is restored to his 
old place of love and service. 

We ride along across the plain of Gennesaret ; 
our horses now plunging in mire and now able 
to go forward at a brisk trot. Small flies annoy 
them and almost blind and choke the riders. 
We reach Khan Minyeh which is now a ruin, 
but which dates from the time of Saladin, and 
was doubtless built for the convenience of trav- 
elers from Damascus. Doctor Robinson con- 
siders that the ruins near here are the remains 
of Capernaum, and MacGregor, of the "Rob 
Roy," agrees with Doctor Robinson. Later we 
shall more fully examine this whole subject. We 
walked our horses in the ruins of a comparatively 
modern aqueduct which ran from Ain et-Tabiyah 
to Khan Minyeh. Near here is Ain et-Tin, or 
the " Fig Spring," and a little beyond is the 
copious Ain et-Tabiyah, just mentioned. This 
name is equivalent to " Seven Springs," and the 



FROM TIBERIAS TO T^L HUM 355 



neighborhood was once supposed to be the scene 
of the feeding of the five thousand. 1 South of 
this spring there is a small German colony, once 
under the auspices of the German Catholic 
Palestine Society. This is by far the most copi- 
ous spring in the vicinity ; its water is brackish, 
and it rises to the surface with great force at a 
temperature of 86^ °, although this is not con- 
sidered warm in this climate. Some of its water 
is carried off by an aqueduct to a mill owned by 
a man of Safed, the only one now in use of five 
built by the great chieftain, Dhaer el-Amr. It 
is certain from the remains of remarkable works 
that once the waters of this spring were raised 
high enough to irrigate many parts of the plain 
of Gennesaret. The piers of arches can still be 
seen showing that the aqueduct crossed the beds 
of two water courses ; it is evident that by an 
excavation in the solid rock, along which we 
rode, the water was carried around the cliff of 
Khan Minyeh. The remains of this great aque- 
duct arrest the attention of all travelers. 

We are now treading ground trodden by Jesus. 
There is the hallowed lake. It was the scene of 
the opening of our Lord's ministry. Its neighbor- 
hood was often his chosen retreat from the wrath 
of his foes. His sublime miracles and gracious 
parables have consecrated its waters and its 
shores. From a ship on its waters he spoke the 
many parables recorded in Matthew thirteen. Its 
waves obeyed his voice ; its waters became a 



Mark 6 : 44. 



356 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



pavement beneath his feet. When cast out from 
Nazareth, he made his home at Capernaum on 
its shore, which then became "his own city." 
Here he called Peter, James, and John, the three 
chosen for the inner circle of his disciples. Hal- 
lowed lake ! Christ-visited shores ! The charm 
and glory of his presence are still on the land 
and sea. The parable of the Net, of the Lost 
Sheep, and of the Sheep-fold, carry us back to 
these sacred shores. If anywhere this side of 
heaven we may see Jesus as he is, surely it is 
here by the Sea of Galilee. 



XXXIV 



CAPERNAUM, CHORAZIN, AND BETHSAIDA 

X 7 HAT can be said of the sites of these 



famous cities? That question all trav- 
elers in Palestine try to answer. Probably it 
will never be answered with absolute certainty. 
We speak first of Capernaum. This name has 
a conspicuous place in the records of our Lord's 
life. It is not plainly mentioned in the Old 
Testament, but the passage in Isa. 9 : i is ap- 
plied to it by the evangelist Matthew. We 
know from the New Testament references to it 
that it was on the west shore of the Sea of Gali- 
lee ; but they do not enable us to determine its 
exact location, although we know that it was in 
the plain of Gennesaret, which all authorities of 
the time agree was one of the richest and most 
prosperous places in the entire land. It is called in 
Matt. 9 : 1 and in Mark 1 : 33 a city ; and in 
its synagogue our Lord often taught. 1 We are 
distinctly informed that this synagogue was 
built by the Roman centurion who was quar- 
tered in the city ; there were also stations there 
for the collection of the customs, both by sta- 
tionary and by itinerant officers. 

Capernaum, as we have seen, became our 




1 Mark I : 21 ; Luke 4 : 33, 38. 



357 



358 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Lord's "own city." Perhaps while Jesus was 
walking on the the beach near the town he 
called Peter and Andrew to become his disci- 
ples, and they heard the call and followed him 
as their Lord and Master. In Capernaum, 1 Christ 
wrought the miracle of healing on the centurion's 
servant. It was here that Simon's wife's mother, 
was healed of her fever. 2 Other notable mira- 
cles were here performed ; and the son of the 
nobleman was a resident of Capernaum, although 
Christ was at Cana of Galilee when he spoke the 
words which brought the cure. And in the 
synagogue at Capernaum was spoken the won- 
derful discourse recorded in the sixth chapter of 
John's Gospel. 

Against these cities our Lord spoke words of 
fearful solemnity ; and his predictions have been 
remarkably fulfilled. Dean Stanley twice visited 
the region and studied it with the utmost care, 
but he says, " The disputed sites of the cities of 
Gennesaret must still remain disputed." It is 
not important topographically or spiritually that 
we should settle the question ; but, of course, a 
place so connected with the earthly life of our 
Lord as was Capernaum we would be glad to 
locate, if it were possible so to do. Some would 
place it at Khan Minyeh, as already suggested. 
This mound of ruins takes its name from the 
old khan of which I have spoken. It is close 
to the seashore, at the northwest extremity of 
the plain. The spring of the Fig Tree, Ain et- 



1 Matt. 8 : 5. 



2 Matt. 8 : 14. 



CAPERNAUM, CHORAZIN, AND BETHSAIDA 359 



Tin, which takes its name from the fact that it 
is overshadowed by a fig tree, is north of these 
ruins. Robinson, Porter, and MacGregor, of the 
" Rob Roy," favor Khan Minyeh as the site of 
Capernaum. But recent excavations of the 
English Exploring Expedition have brought to 
light nothing at Khan Minyeh but fragments 
of " masonry and pottery of comparatively mod- 
ern date." Doctor Robinson gives his argu- 
ments at length, but most recent investigations 
seem to weaken and not to strengthen his reason 
for choosing this site. My dragoman favored 
this site, and Dr. George Adam Smith favors 
Khan Minyeh, on the northern edge of Gen- 
nesaret. His words I do well to quote : 

The evidence is greatly in favor of the latter site (Khan 
Minyeh), and one may fix the house of Jesus, as Mark 
calls it, the birthplace of the gospel, at that northeast 
corner of fair Gennesaret, where the waves beat now on an 
abandoned shore ; but once there was a quay and busy 
town, and the great road from east to west poured its daily 
stream of life. 

Doctor Smith claims that Tel Hum is an im- 
possible contraction from Kephar-Nahum, the 
village of Nahum, and that there is no Tel at 
the place, and that Guerin is right in deriving 
the name from Tanhum, a Jewish rabbi buried 
there. 

The Round Fountain certainly answers better 
the description given by Josephus than does the 
spring of the Fig Tree, which is so close to the 
shore. We have already seen that the Round 
Fountain is near the southern end of the plain 



360 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



of Gennesaret ; it is so named because enclosed 
by a circular wall of rnason work. Canon Tris- 
tram claims that the Round Fountain furnishes 
more authoritative marks of identification with 
what Josephus calls the fountain of Capernaum 
than does either of the other springs which have 
been named in this connection. He calls atten- 
tion to the fact that fever is very prevalent even 
now in the neighborhood of the Round Foun- 
tain, and that the dry, rocky ground near Tel 
Hum is comparatively free from it. This would 
make it the more natural that we should read, 
" Peter's wife's mother lay sick of a fever" at 
Capernaum. 1 But on the other hand, old itin- 
eraries of pilgrims, Doctor Thomson, Mr. Dixon, 
Captain Wilson, and the English explorers, favor 
Tel Hum. This place is between two and three 
miles southwest of the Jordan. It consists of 
about a dozen miserable huts, and is otherwise 
now a mass of ruins. On the bank of the 
lake is the principal ruin, which is still partly 
preserved, which was, probably, once a Chris- 
tian church ; ' and on closer inspection it is 
seen to bear marks of being composed of still 
more ancient materials. Some suppose that it 
enclosed the house of the Apostle Peter, described 
by Antonius, A. d. 600. There are also traces 
amid the ruins of another building. It was 
composed of white limestone, resembling marble, 
and was about seventy-five feet long and fifty- 
seven feet wide. It is called the "White Syna- 



1 Mark I : 30. 



CAPERNAUM, CHORAZIN, AND BETHSAIDA 36 1 



gogue," because of its white material. Some 
of the stones which enter into its structure are 
very large. On the south side there are three 
entrances. Beautiful fragments of corner capi- 
tals and bases are scattered amid the ruins. If 
Tel Hum be indeed Capernaum, these are doubt- 
less the remains of the synagogue built by the 
Roman centurion, 1 and this is surely one of the 
most sacred places in the world. It was in this 
synagogue that our Lord uttered his great dis- 
course on himself as the Bread of Life, 2 which 
discourse marked an era in our Lord's life. Cap- 
tain Wilson tells us that on turning over a large 
block he found a pot of manna engraved on its 
face, and remembered the words of Christ, " I 
am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat 
manna in the wilderness, and are dead." These 
ruins occupy a space a half a mile long by a 
quarter of a mile broad. It is thought by some 
that Tel Hum is a corruption of a place men- 
tioned by some Jewish authors as Tankhum or 
Nakhum ; but is not safe to make any affirma- 
tion on that point. It is, however, thought that 
the ruins show that this was originally a place 
of great importance, and would thus be in har- 
mony with a city where there were custom 
houses, garrisons, and other prominent public 
buildings. It is certain, at least, that Christ and 
his disciples often looked out on the scene which 
greeted our eyes that morning as we rode among 
these ruins. How terribly were our Lord's pre- 



1 Luke 7 : 4, 5- 



2 John 6. 



362 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



dictions regarding this city fulfilled ! Read 
again his solemn words : " And thou, Caper- 
naum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be 
brought down to hell : for if the mighty works, 
which have been done in thee, had been done in 
Sodom, it would have remained until this day." 

Chorazin. — This is also one of the cities in 
which our Lord's mighty works were done, and 
which came under his righteous denunciation : 
" Woe unto thee, Chorazin ! woe unto thee, 
Bethsaida ! for if the mighty works, which were 
done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, 
they would have repented long ago in sackcloth 
and ashes." 1 And, " Woe unto thee, Chorazin ! 
woe unto thee, Bethsaida ! for if the mighty 
works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which 
have been done in you, they had a great while 
ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes." 2 

Doctor Robinson makes Khan Minyeh, Caper- 
naum ; and et-Tabiyah, Bethsaida ; and Tel 
Hum, Chorazin. But it is now more common 
to find Chorazin about two and a half miles 
north of Tel Hum. We ride along a steep and 
very bad path until we come to the ruins of 
Kerazeh ; the name is nearly the Arabic for 
Chorazin. These ruins cover a larger extent 
than those at Tel Hum. They comprise the re- 
mains of a synagogue with Corinthian capitals 
in black basalt. There are also remains of pri- 
vate dwellings in a state of fairly good preserva- 



1 Matt. 11 : 21. 



2 Luke 10 : 13. 



CAPERNAUM, CHORAZIN, AND BETHSAIDA 363 



tion, the walls being still standing. The houses 
were generally square, the broadest measuring 
about twenty-seven feet. Some of the buildings 
had Ionic capitals. The walls were two feet 
thick, and traces are found of the columns in the 
center of the houses which supported the roof, 
while in the middle of the town there are found 
the remains of a richly ornamented synagogue. 
Evidences that once there was a paved road to 
the town are seen. Tombs of Bedouin sheiks, 
overhung with colored rags, are seen near a large 
tree beside a spring of water. 

Bethsaida. — This town was associated by 
our Lord with the two others which came under 
his just judgment. It was " Bethsaida of Gali- 
lee " ; it was a city, was in the land of Gennes- 
aret, and was the native place of Andrew, Peter, 
and Philip. It was evidently near Capernaum 
and Chorazin. The ordinary interpretation of 
the name, "house of fish," would indicate that 
it must have been close to the water's edge. A 
comparison of the narratives in Mark 6 : 31-53 
and Luke 9 : 10-17, shows that there must have 
been a Bethsaida on the east as well as on the 
west of the Lake. In the narrative in Luke 
Bethsaida is named as the place where the 
miracle occurred ; but in the narrative in Mark 
the disciples are said to have crossed the lake 
"to Bethsaida in the land of Gennesaret." It 
would seem that at the northeastern extremity 
of the lake there was a village rebuilt by Philip 
the Tetrarch and named Julias, after the daugh- 



364 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ter of the Emperor Augustus. Philip was buried 
here in a magnificent tomb. This was Bethsaida 
Julias and there, it would seem, the feeding of 
the five thousand occurred. It is remarkable 
that the two Bethsaidas should be mentioned in 
one narrative. This Western Bethsaida was the 
frequent residence of Jesus. The site long 
eluded the search of travelers. The ingenious 
Reland helped greatly to remove difficulties of 
interpretation by suggesting these two Bethsa- 
idas, one on the east and the other on the west 
shore of the lake. If the name means a " house 
of fishing " nothing would be more natural than 
to give the name to more than one place, espe- 
cially where fishing was so common a business 
as on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It is only 
fair, however, to say that Doctor Thomson be- 
lieves that there was only one Bethsaida, Beth- 
saida-Julias, and that it was built on both sides 
of the Jordan, and so was partly in Galilee. I 
am disposed, always, to attach importance to his 
opinion ; but this view does not satisfactorily 
meet the conditions of the sacred narrative. 

A day might well be spent in this vicinity if 
the tourist could spare the time. I was at times 
wearied with visits to improbable grottoes and to 
doubtful churches marking very doubtful sites ; 
but here one was absolutely certain that he 
looked upon mountains, sea, and sky, as Christ 
and his disciples saw them, and one could feel 
reasonably sure that he was treading in substan- 
tially the footprints of the blessed Master. The 
rest which might be enjoyed here, if it were not 



CAPERNAUM, CHORAZIN, AND BETHSAIDA 365 



the season of flies, would be grateful indeed. 
The bathing also, in the bay of et-Tabiyah, is 
said to be better than at any other bathing-place 
in Palestine ; and the moonlight on the lake, 
shores, and more distant hills, is delightful in the 
extreme. It would be difficult to find a place in 
any country where the moonlight effects are 
more pleasing than here. I can fully endorse 
the words of a recent writer who says : 

Never will the night that closed that delightful day in the 
environs of ' ■ his own city ' ' be forgotten by me. It was 
brilliant moonlight, and standing upon the cliff above our 
camping-place, the white houses of Tiberias were distinctly 
visible ; the waters of the lake lay calm and placid as when 
he said : "Peace, be still, and there was a great calm" ; 
the inequalities and want of coloring in the hills, which had 
been noticeable in the broad sunshine, were not perceptible 
now ; around us were the ' ' desert places ' ' and the ' ' moun- 
tain-tops ' ' which had been the scene of his resting and his 
prayers. Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chorazin — mounds of 
rubbish, tangles of thistles, heaps of ruins — these have been 
cast down, and have passed away; but the "mighty 
works ' ' remain, still powerful in blessing ; and the ' ' gra- 
cious words ' ' are as fresh, as beautiful, and as life-giving as 
when he uttered them. 

Most solemn is the literal and terrible fulfill- 
ment of our L,ord's words : " Then began he to 
upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty 
works were done, because they repented not." 1 
This was the dominant impression on mind and 
heart. Christ was a solemn preacher. He 
uttered fearful "woes," but he baptized them in 



1 Matt. II : 20-24. 



366 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



loving tears. All his other words must be ful- 
filled ; not one jot or tittle shall fail. L,et us be 
warned by his terrible threatenings ; let us be 
sweetly inspired by his blessed promises. Pal- 
estine is indeed a fifth Gospel ; the land illus- 
trates the Book. 



XXXV 



FROM CAPERNAUM TO C^SARKA-PHIUPPI 

X 7E slowly climbed from the Sea of Galilee 



over the rough pathway; but horribly 
bad as is this road, it was the old caravan road 
between Egypt and Damascus. On reaching the 
height, we could look backward to the whole of 
the Sea of Galilee and to L,ake Huleh, or the 
waters of Merom, and farther on to Lebanon 
and Hermon. 

In due time we reach the Khan Yubb Yusef, 
or Khan of Joseph's Well. This name is given 
to this well because of the groundless tradition 
that into this well Joseph was cast by his. 
brethren. The Khan is very dirty, and the well 
is not more attractive than the Khan. Safed is 
distant about an hour and a half from this 
Khan. Safed takes high rank among the places 
of interest in the Holy Land. It is one of the 
four holy cities in Palestine, regarding which it 
is said by the Jews that if prayer should cease 
to be offered in them the world would speedily 
come to an end ; the other three are Jerusalem, 
Hebron, and Tiberias. In the Talmud of Jeru- 
salem the name of Safed, or Safat, occurs ; the 
place was also known by its present name to the 
Arabian geographers. In 1140 the castle here 




367 



368 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

was erected, and Saladin had great difficulty in 
reducing the fortress. The sultan of Damascus, 
fearing that the Christians might establish them- 
selves here again, demolished the castle in 1220; 
but the Templars restored it. In 1266 it sur- 
rendered to Beibars, who massacred the surviv- 
ors. An earthquake in 1759 proved very de- 
structive, and in 1799 it was for a time occupied 
by the French. In the sixteenth century a Jew- 
ish colony was founded there, and a famous rab- 
binical school was organized. The earliest 
teachers were Spanish Jews. There were here 
eighteen synagogues, and all forms of learning 
of the time were pursued, and especially the 
cabalistic, which was much affected by certain 
schools. The town is still one of the chief seats 
of modern Judaism. It contains both the Ash- 
kenazim and Sephardirn Hebrews, the two di- 
visions amounting to about four to five thou- 
sand. The majority, however, are Ashkenazim, 
or Polish immigrants, under Austrian protection. 
Polygamy is still practised among the Sephardirn 
Jews. All the Jewish houses are very dirty, and 
the people are, in many ways, undesirable neigh- 
bors. But no earnest Hebrew visiting the Holy 
Land would fail to visit Safed as one of the 
sacred shrines of the land. The whole popula- 
tion is about twenty-five thousand, of whom 
eleven thousand are Moslems. The Greek 
Christians have a church ; and there are here 
stations of the English and the Scotch missions 
to the Jews. The houses are built in terraces 
rising in succession above one another. To 



FROM CAPERNAUM TO OESAREA-PHIIJPPI 369 



reach the higher tier the roofs of the next lower 
are used as a pathway. The lofty situation of 
the city makes it very healthful, especially when 
compared with the temperature of Tiberias ; its 
situation also has led many to suppose that our 
Iyord had it in mind when he said : "A city set 
on a hill, which cannot be hid." 1 But the refer- 
ence is very doubtful, as probably there was no 
city here in Christ's day. The ruined castle 
built by the Franks during the Crusades stands 
on the highest part of the hill. The Turkish 
governor of the town had his quarters here as 
late as 1837, when the terrible earthquake oc- 
curred. To the west rises the beautifully 
wooded Jebel Zebud, three thousand six hun- 
dred and fifty-six feet, and also Jebel Jermak, 
three thousand nine hundred and thirty-six feet. 
This is said to be the highest mountain in Pales- 
tine on the west side of the Jordan. The town 
itself is two thousand seven hundred and forty- 
nine feet high, being the highest in Galilee. 
Owing to the method of constructing the houses 
the earthquake, mentioned as having taken place 
in 1837, was fearfully destructive. Doctor Thom- 
son gives the thrilling account. It occurred at 
the same time as the one in Tiberias. Safed 
was dashed to the ground in half a minute. 
Each successive row of houses was buried 
deeper and deeper by the accumulated masses 
of the houses in the higher tiers. Doctor 
Thomson exclaims : 



1 Matt. 5 : 14. 

y 



370 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



O God of mercy ! my heart even now sickens at the 
thought of that long, black winter's night, which closed 
around the wretched remnants of Safed in half an hour 
after the overthrow, without a light or possibility of getting 
one, four-fifths of the population under the ruins, dead or 
dying, with frightful groans and shrieks of agony and de- 
spair, and the earth trembling and shaking all the while, as 
if affrighted at the horrible desolation she had wrought. 

It is believed that not fewer than four thou- 
sand Jews and Christians and one thousand Mos- 
lems perished, being more than one-half of the 
population of that time. 

Some Other Towns. — It is not necessary to 
speak at length of other places in the neighbor- 
hood. Meiron is famous in Jewish literature 
and also as containing the tombs of celebrated 
Talmudists. It is supposed that Hillel, the 
grandfather of Gamaliel, at whose feet the Apos- 
tle Paul sat, is buried here. His tomb is cut 
out of the solid rock ; it is about twenty-five 
feet long, eighteen feet wide, and ten feet high. 
There are also many niches for bodies ; but no 
trace of any remains of the dead is now to be 
seen. There are here the ruins of a synagogue, 
one of whose walls is nearly perfect. Kefr 
Birim is about two hours distant toward the 
northwest. It is largely occupied by Maronites. 
Here also there are remains of a synagogue ; 
and here also came the Jews once, as this was a 
place of pilgrimage. Tradition asserted that 
Barak, Obadiah, Queen Esther, and others were 
buried here. But some of these historical per- 



FROM CAPERNAUM TO C^ESAREA-PHIUPPI 37 1 



sonages have had several burial places, and one 
is puzzled to know how they furnished a body 
for each. Not far distant is Kedes, the ancient 
Kedesh-Naphtali ; another place on a hilltop is 
pointed out as the site of the ancient Hazor ; but 
this location is the subject of sharp controversy. 
It is affirmed that a rocky hilltop was not a suit- 
able place for the development of its power, 
which consisted largely in war chariots. We 
know that it was somewhere near Kedesh and 
the Lake Huleh, this much being clear from the 
narrative in Joshua 11, 12. Joshua took Hazor, 
smote the king with the sword, and burned the 
city. Hazor was rebuilt and finally became the 
residence of Jabin, the captain of whose host 
was Sisera, whom Deborah and Barak defeated 
and whom Jael slew. 

Lake Huleh. — If we were to go back to 
Khan Yubb Yusef and resume at that point 
the journey direct from Tiberias to Banias, we 
would reach the beautiful stream Nahr Hen- 
dah, and see on the hill above it the ruins of 
Kasyun, including, as it is supposed, remains of 
a temple, a synagogue, and two reservoirs. A 
charming spot for luncheon and siesta is Ain 
Mellahah ; this vicinity has been called " a land 
of springs and fountains." Here there is grass 
in abundance ; here an old mill, which was 
busily at work as we passed ; here welcome 
shade and many other attractions. But we 
pressed on to Huleh. In the Old Testament 1 



1 Josh. 11 : 5-7. 



372 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



this lake is called "the waters of Merom." 
Some have supposed that it is connected with 
the Aramaean Hul, 1 but better authorities deem 
this questionable. Josephus called the neigh- 
borhood Ulatha and the water Lake Samachon- 
ites. But some doubt whether this lake is 
identical with Huleh and whether it is identi- 
cal with Merom ; all these points are still in 
dispute. The lake is a triangular basin, about 
five miles long, three to four broad, and ten to 
fifteen feet deep, and lying high above the sea 
level. The size of the lake differs much at dif- 
ferent seasons of the year. In certain seasons 
much ground about the lake is swampy. Water- 
fowl, including pelican and wild duck, here 
abound ; but marshes often render it difficult to 
approach the lake on the north side, especially 
as on this side there is a dense jungle of papy- 
rus. Much of the bed of the valley is a place in 
which the buffaloes of the Bedouins delight to 
wallow. The Bedouins spend much time in 
hunting and fishing in the vicinity of the lake, 
and are among the most peaceable of their class. 
It was at these waters that Jabin, king of Hazor, 
gathered all the kings of the surrounding peo- 
ples; they were numerous as the sand of the 
seashore, and their horses and chariots were 
many ; and it was here that the Lord delivered 
them into the hands of Joshua. 2 

We spent the night in the new and prosperous 
town near the lake. This town is chiefly com- 



1 Gen. io : 23. 2 Josh, n : 4-8. 



FROM CAPERNAUM TO CESAREA-PHIIJPPI 373 



posed of Russian Jews, who through the kind- 
ness of Baron Hirsch and other benefactors have 
been able to secure land here, to build houses, 
and to organize various industries. The Turkish 
government is very jealous of these Jews ; and 
it has forbidden them to come except in com- 
paratively small numbers. But still they come. 
Here they are irrigating the soil, planting vines, 
and engaging in the manufacture of silk. There 
is pleasure in seeing new buildings in this land 
of ruins. Here are signs of vigorous industry. 
In its newness and prosperity this town reminds 
one of some western town in the United States. 
The people we found to be intelligent, indus- 
trious, and ambitious. Many of them speak 
French and German, and a few of them English. 
I cannot recommend the hotel at which we 
stopped. Too much in certain ways is given for 
the price charged ; there is unavoidably too much 
" bodily exercise " at night, and we have apos- 
tolic authority for saying that such exercise 
profiteth little. The black bread and other table 
luxuries, except the grapes, I cannot recommend. 
But improvements are constantly going forward ; 
and, doubtless, one may before many years travel 
all over Palestine in a palace car on a good rail- 
way, and put up at first-class hotels. These im- 
provements will be welcomed by many, but they 
will take away something of the archaic charm 
of this ancient land. 

Tel el-Kadi, or Dan, "A Judge." — Before 
daylight, after a night's battle which made get- 



374 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 

ting up a luxury, we started for Banias by way 
of Dan. Along the shores of Huleh we saw a 
large caravan approaching, men, women, drago- 
mans, servants, horses, and donkeys. From 
many we were soon saluted with a " Howdy," 
which led me to recognize the party as Ameri- 
cans from the Southern States. I was expecting 
to meet a party of Southern Baptists, and I as- 
sumed this was that party. Soon my dragoman 
called out my name and residence, and we were 
shaking hands and exchanging Christian greet- 
ings and fraternal salutations. Meeting with 
this company of Americans, Christians, and Bap- 
tists in that far-off land, as I was traveling alone, 
was like a gleam of sunshine on a cloudy day. 
My heart responded with sincerity to the good 
wishes extended. Some of this party I have 
since welcomed in the Calvary Church, New 
York. 

So we pressed onward, and soon we were at 
Tel el-Kadi, the hill of the judge. No doubt 
this mound corresponds to the Dan of Scripture 
and the Laish of the Phoenicians. The mound is 
nearly fifty feet above the plain ; it is about one- 
quarter of a mile in diameter. On the top, 
under a fine oak, is a Moslem tomb. Descend- 
ing a rocky slope on the west side of a hill a 
basin is reached from which bursts a copious and 
crystal spring. It is large enough at once to 
form a considerable river ; it flows off through 
the plain, and several sparkling rills soon join it, 
the course of the stream being marked by abun- 
dant vegetation. I dismounted, and leaning 



FROM CAPERNAUM TO OESAREA-PHIIJPPI 2,75 



over the blocks of basalt I drank out of the 
pool. I was drinking the clear, cold water of 
one of the sources of the Jordan. The union of 
these various streams is called El-Leddan. Jo- 
sephus calls it the "Little Jordan." Of the 
sources of the Jordan I shall speak more in de- 
tail in the next chapter ; but here I may say that 
this is popularly supposed to be the chief source 
of the historic river ; it certainly is much larger 
than the stream which rises under the rock at 
Banias. The stream at Dan is five hundred and 
four feet above the sea level. 

The Arabic word Kadi and the Hebrew word 
Dan are synonymous and mean, judge. On 
this mound, and on the other behind it, stood 
the ancient city and citadel of Dan. It marked 
the north boundary of the Holy Land. This 
fact gave rise to the expression " From Dan to 
Beer-sheba." Laish was the name of the place 
before its conquest by the Danites, 1 later it was 
conquered by Ben-hadad, King of Syria. 2 A 
hurried glance at this history will give reality to 
this place. When Abraham followed the captors 
of Lot, he "went even unto Dan." This, as we 
have seen, was the most northerly city of Pales- 
tine. Painful is the story of the conquest of the 
Danites ; too often might made right in those 
lawless days. At Dan Jeroboam set up one of 
the calves of idolatrous worship, the other being 
at Bethel, as substitutes for the true worship of 
the true God. At the southwest corner of the 



1 Judges 18 : 27. 2 I Kings 15 : 20. 



37^ SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



mound is pointed out the spot where the image 
was placed. 

In three-quarters of an hour, after passing 
many clumps of bushes, crossing many murmur- 
ing streams, and looking out over the hills of 
Bashan and the glorious mountains of the north, 
we reached Banias, or Csesarea-Philippi, so ro- 
mantic in itself and so fragrant with the memory 
of Christ and his apostles. 



XXXVI 



BANIAS — THE ANCIENT C^ESAREA-PHIUPPI 

HAD I been with a camping party, doubtless 
we would have selected a place near the 
beautiful stream which flows from under the 
rock, and which is one of the sources of the Jor- 
dan, upon which to locate our camp. But as I 
was alone and without a tent, we sought the 
house of the chief man of the town. We were 
cordially welcomed and given the whole of the 
"upper room" — the entire upper story, which 
was all one room. Mats were placed on the 
floor and rugs on the mats ; the sweet fresh air 
was cool and most welcome. But notwithstand- 
ing the interesting secular history, and the most 
tender associations of Christ and his apostles 
which cluster about this town, I shall never for- 
get the trials of the night spent there. Occa- 
sional twinges of toothache did not sweeten the 
hours as I lay awake in vigorous and generally 
fruitless " bodily exercise " during the hours of 
what seemed to be the most trying night I ever 
spent. 

The whole town was in a state of feverish ex- 
citement over the expected outbreak of war be- 
tween the Druses and the Metawilehs. This 
latter tribe possesses many villages in Lebanon. 

377 



378 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



They have long been at war with the Druses, 
who for centuries have held themselves aloof 
from the other inhabitants of Syria, although 
they are of mixed Syrian and Arabian origin. 
Did space permit, it would be interesting to give 
an account of the history and beliefs of these 
two tribes ; but those especially interested can 
elsewhere examine the subject. Terrible tales 
were being circulated through Banias at the 
time of our arrival. It was said that a party of 
three Englishmen had just been robbed of money, 
watches, horses, mules, and everything which 
they had on their journey, and that their lives 
were saved with, difficulty. Other stories were 
told of a traveler who had been robbed and mur- 
dered, and his murderer had recently been dis- 
covered, but was not likely ever to be punished. 
It is well known that the Turkish Government 
has never been able to exercise more than a 
nominal authority over the wild tribes east of 
the Jordan and in the Lebanon district. It was 
said that thousands of both tribes were assem- 
bled near and that a great battle would probably 
be fought the next day. That day was Sunday, 
and we expected to spend it here ; but it seemed 
best to get a sheik of the Druses as our protector 
and to continue our journey that day. Protest- 
ing against the imposition, my dragoman secured 
that evening the man to lead us over the moun- 
tains. We had to allow him to rob us of a con- 
siderable sum that he might keep his fierce peo- 
ple from robbing us of a greater sum, or perhaps 
taking all we had, if not our lives also. With 



BANIAS — ANCIENT CESAREA-PHIUPPI 379 



this preparation, and not in the best of temper or 
spirits, we went out in the beautiful afternoon to 
see Banias and its truly beautiful environs. 

Historic Glances. — Names are things. 
Whence comes the name Banias? It is just the 
Greek Paneas. But whence came the name 
Paneas ? The town was so named because here 
there was a sanctuary of Pan. This sanctuary 
adjoined the cavern whence flows one of the 
sources of the Jordan. When Herod the Great 
received from Augustus a territory which in- 
cluded Paneas, he erected over the spring a tem- 
ple in honor of Augustus Caesar. His son, 
Philip the Tetrarch, inherited a district of which 
Paneas was a part, and he enlarged the town and 
called it Caesarea, in honor of Tiberius Caesar ; 
but as there was on the Mediterranean a town of 
this name, he added, as the distinguishing ap- 
pellative, the word Philippi. Agrippa II. named 
it Neronias, but this name soon passed away, 
and it came to be known as Caesarea-Philippi, or 
Paneas, now Banias. Perhaps this place corre- 
sponds with Baal-gad, if Baalbek is not on that 
site, the northern boundary of Joshua's victories. 
It is also probably the most northern point which 
our Lord ever visited. 1 Almost without doubt 
Banias is in the immediate neighborhood of our 
Lord's transfiguration, and it was here that the 
Apostle Peter made his great confession of Christ. 
By a misinterpretation of this the Roman Church 



1 Matt. 16 : 13 ; Mark 8 : 27. 



380 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



has given him a place which our Lord never in- 
tended, and which Peter would have been the 
first to reject. After the capture of Jerusalem 
Titus here celebrated that victory by great gladi- 
atorial shows, in which many Jewish captives 
were obliged to contend, now with wild beasts 
and now with one another. In the fourth cen- 
tury a bishopric was founded here. Banias was 
surrended, after various changes in its owner- 
ship, to the Christians during the Crusades in 
1230, and also the lofty fortress of Subeibeh, of 
which fuller mention will soon be made. 

Situation and Description. — The situa- 
tion of the town is exceptionally beautiful ; one 
will travel far before he will find a more delight- 
ful combination of mountains, groves, streams, 
rocks, and plains. It is in a nook of Hermon, 
one thousand one hundred and fifty feet above 
the sea-level, between two valleys, while a third 
valley opens to the north from a deep-wooded 
ravine. Streams flow in every direction, mak- 
ing the air cool and giving it the melody of their 
murmurs. The abundance of the water gives 
luxuriance to all forms of vegetation ; and the 
water is borne off in many channels to irrigate 
the fields far down the valleys. The villages 
consist of between fifty and sixty houses and a 
few shops. Into the walls of many of these 
houses are built materials representing a former 
civilization and giving evidence of classic beauty ; 
this is especially true of the house of the sheik 
of the village, although it did not boast a table 



BANIAS — ANCIENT CESAREA-PHILIPPI 381 



or chair or bed. Most of the houses are within 
the ancient castle wall ; there are remains of 
columns which show that the ancient city was 
much more extensive than the modern village. 
There is a rough bridge over the Jordan, com- 
posed of antique pillars. The parts of the 
ancient citadel, which can still be seen, show 
that its walls and towers were massive indeed. 
Parts of the corner towers of the walls are still 
preserved, which show that they were round and 
constructed of great blocks. As in Magdala and 
elsewhere, we saw here on the roofs of many 
houses booths of green branches, raised several 
feet on stout posts, to protect the people from 
lizards, scorpions, and vermin of many kinds. 
From the bridge, the citadel, and other parts of 
the town and the vicinity, many most picturesque 
views can be had. 

But the most attractive spot in Banias is the 
rock from beneath which flows the copious stream 
which is one of the sources of the Jordan ; in- 
deed, the water bursts forth in a series of streams 
which finally make a copious brook. The 
mountain is immensely interesting. It ends 
here in an abrupt cliff of limestone ; perhaps it 
has been broken away by convulsions of nature 
through many centuries. In the face of this 
cliff is a cave or grotto which was once the sanc- 
tuary of Pan ; it was the Paneum, hence the 
name of the town, Paneas. On the face of the 
cliff are several votive niches, which doubtless 
were once much higher from the ground than 
they now are. The largest of these is the most 



382 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



northerly, and a smaller one farther up is seen. 
Some of these are hallowed out in the form of 
shells ; over the smaller one to the south is the 
inscription in Greek : " Priest of Pan," while 
other inscriptions are now illegible. On the top 
of the cliff Herod built a white marble temple, 
and from this point a superb view of Banias and 
its environs is gotten, and one secures an accu- 
rate idea of the great extent of the ruins, and 
also of the beauty of the surroundings. Let us 
look once more at the cavern of the Spring, as it 
is called. Once it was much larger than now. A 
mass of broken rocks partly chokes the entrance 
to the cave, and from the midst of these rocks 
bursts forth the stream as a source of the Jordan, 
of which I have spoken. I knelt and drank of 
its cool, clear water, and it was an experience 
for which I had often longed. Shortly before 
going I wrote a paper which is contained in 
" The People's Pictorial Bible," and I had occa- 
sion to describe the sources of the Jordan, and 
nearly every foot of the country over which I 
have now gone. How I desired to have the trip 
now taken before that work was begun ; now 
that pleasure and profit were mine. 

No Christian can visit this rock and grotto, 
where perhaps Baal was worshiped in the time 
of the Phoenicians, and Pan certainly in the time 
of the Greeks, who always associated his wor- 
ship with caves and grottoes, without recalling 
the words of Christ in Matt. 16 : 13-18: "When 
Jesus came into the coasts of Csesarea-Philippi, 
he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men 



1 



BANIAS — ANCIENT CiESAREA-PHIIJPPI 383 



say that I, the Son of man, am ? And they said, 
Some say that thou art John the Baptist ; some, 
Blias ; and others, Jeremias, or one of the 
prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say 
ye that I am ? And Simon Peter answered and 
said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 
God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, 
Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona : for flesh and 
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my 
Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto 
thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I 
will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall 
not prevail against it." There came to me stand- 
ing by that rock new significance in our Lord's 
question, a significance which I have not noticed 
as given with sufficient fullness by any writer. 
Did not the rock dedicated to different deities 
have some influence in giving form to our Lord's 
question ? That rock once stood for the worship 
of Baal ; it later stood for the worship of Pan. 
It seemed to me as if Christ asked, "Who, 
therefore, do you say that I am?" Perhaps 
this rock had some connection in Christ's mind 
with Peter's name ; on Peter's confession and 
on Christ himself as the chief corner-stone, the 
church would be built. Behold this great rock, 
Christ seems to say, which has stood for ages 
as the symbol of false faiths. But here is a 
rock which shall stand forever as the symbol 
of the true faith ; and the powers of hades shall 
be powerless against the church which I found. 
The thought here suggested may have in it an 
element of truth. 



384 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



This place stands closely connected with our 
Lord's transfiguration. The best students are 
now virtually a unit in placing it on a spur of 
Mount Hermon. Immediately afterward Christ 
came into the parts of Csesarea-Philippi, some- 
where in this vicinity, " On the next day when 
they were come down from the hill, much people 
met him." Here he cast out the demon, although 
the disciples could not ; here also " he took a 
little child and set him in the midst " ; here he 
told the disciples of the end that before long 
would be his ; and soon his work in this most 
northern limit of his earthly labors being com- 
pleted, and feeling the pressure of his approach- 
ing baptism of suffering, he hastened to the in- 
evitable end : "And it came to pass, when the 
time was come that he should be received up, 
he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." 

The Huge Castle. — All travelers ought to 
visit the extensive ruins of the great castle of 
Subeibeh, KnVat es-Subeibeh. The hill on 
which it stands is above Banias, and is about two 
thousand five hundred feet above the sea level ; 
it is, therefore, a most conspicuous object. It 
commands a marvelous view, certainly one of 
the most magnificent in Syria, taking in the hills 
of Bashan, the hills of Galilee, the slopes of 
Hermon, and the plain of Huleh, with its many 
waters, and the village of Banias at its base. If 
an excursion can be made to it in the early morn- 
ing the best results will be realized. The castle 
is one of the best-preserved ruins in Syria ; an 



BANIAS — ANCIENT OESAREA-PHIIJPPI 385 



examination shows that it represents the archi- 
tecture of nearly every age from the time of the 
Phoenicians down to the seventeenth century. 
Its origin is lost in obscurity ; but it is known 
that much of it was built by the Franks, who 
held possession of it from 1139 to 1164. The 
building follows the irregularities of its site. 
It is said by Baedeker to be four hundred and 
eighty yards long, and at each end about one 
hundred yards wide, but much narrower in the 
middle. In speaking of it, Dean Stanley says : 
" The largest of its kind in the East, and equal 
in extent even to the pride of European castles 
at Heidelberg." The eastern part of the building 
was meant to be used for a distinct citadel, hav- 
ing several cisterns and being separated from the 
western part by a wall and a moat. The preci- 
pice at the southwest angle is of a dizzy height. 
The masonry is massive, the stones are beveled, 
and some of the arches and niches are extremely 
rich in their ornamentation. On some of the 
walls Arabic inscriptions are found, but they 
probably go no farther back than to some of the 
restorations of the remarkable structure. Many 
of the walls which once enclosed the castle are 
broken, and some of them have fallen over the 
precipice, hundreds of feet below. On the south- 
west overhangs a precipice, going sheer down a 
thousand feet into the wild valley. This glori- 
ous view is a memorable experience. 

The Sources of the Jordan. — Allusion has 
been made several times to this subject ; it is 

z 



386 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



worthy of more careful statement. The Jordan 
means " The Descender," and it is rightly named. 
It is well known as the chief river of Palestine. 
Running from north to south it divides the whole 
country into two parts, the most important part 
being on the west. Two streams are its chief 
sources, this one at Banias, and the other which 
we saw at Tel el-Kadi, about three miles west of 
Banias. These two unite and so form a con- 
siderable river. There are also several mountain 
brooks on the west, many of which we crossed 
in coming to Dan and Banias. But there is es- 
pecially a third and longer stream, the Hasbany, 
which rises beyond the northern limit of Pales- 
tine, near Hasbeiya, on the west side of Mount 
Hermon, one thousand seven hundred feet above 
the Mediterranean. It flows twenty-four miles 
to the south, and unites with the other streams 
shortly before they enter the Lake Huleh. Is- 
suing from this marshy lake, the Jordan flows 
about ten miles, during which space it falls six 
hundred and ninety feet, and enters the Sea of 
Galilee. Through it the river flows for twelve 
to thirteen miles, leaving there its impurities, as 
does the Rhone in Lake Geneva, and issues 
thence clear as crystal. For a distance of sixty- 
six miles, in a straight line, it pursues its sinuous 
way, making a distance of two hundred miles, 
and then it falls into the Dead Sea, which has 
no outlet, visible or invisible. From the snows 
of Hermon to the valley of Jericho the distance 
in a straight line is about one hundred and forty 
miles, and during that distance the river makes 



BANIAS — ANCIENT OESAREA-PH1XIPPI 387 



a descent of nearly three thousand feet in its 
journey from the mountains of perpetual snow 
to the lake lying in one of the hottest valleys 
on the earth. The Jordan Valley is the most re- 
markable feature in Palestine. There is nothing 
like it in the world ; it is a distinctive charac- 
teristic of the whole country. 

This river is associated with much that is 
grandest, most majestic, and most divine in the 
history of Israel. Its waters again and again 
felt the power and obeyed the voice of God and 
his servants ; and finally they were in Christian 
thought forever consecrated when Jesus Christ 
was baptized therein. 

At few places in Palestine is the thought of 
Jesus more present, tender, and commanding 
than at Csesarea-Philippi. The memory of its 
lofty hills, its murmuring streams, its luxuriant 
groves, its majestic hills, its thrilling historic 
scenes, but most of all, of its suggestions of 
Jesus the Christ, will never fade from the mind 
of the thoughtful traveler. Christ glorifies 
every place associated with his august and im- 
mortal name. 



XXXVII 



FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 

AS usual we started before dawn. We now 
had a sheik of the Druses as an addi- 
tional guide. I felt humiliated in having to 
employ him, but it was certainly safer to pocket 
one's dignity and to unpocket some of one's 
money than to run the risk of being robbed by 
his tribesmen, or by some of the abominable 
Metawilehs. All along the way as we climbed 
the mountains, frightened peasants met us ask- 
ing foolish questions amid their hopes and fears. 
The sun rose as we climbed the mountain near 
the castle of Subeibeh. The sight was unspeak- 
ably grand ; no words of tongue or pen can do it 
justice. I rode along in silence drinking in the 
marvelous scene. Ever before us was glorious 
Hermon. It was one of the chief features in 
every picture of the Holy L,and which I had 
for days. It is visible even from the depths 
of the Jordan Valley by the Dead Sea. One of 
its ancient names was "The Upraised," because 
it so grandly lifted its top amid the surrounding 
mountains ; another was Sirion, " The Glitter- 
ing," as it was called by the Sidonians. It is now 
called Jebel-esh-sheik, the " Chief Mountain," 
or the " mountain of the White-haired." Some- 
388 



FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 389 



times it is called Jebel-et-Telt, "the Snow Moun- 
tain." Twice in Scripture the name of Baal 
Hermon is given to it, doubtless because of the 
worship of Baal in its high places. The Hebrews 
extolled Hermon for its majestic heights ; they 
valued it also as a collector of clouds. Its snow 
was used in ancient times, as now, for cooling 
the drinks of the rich. 

It is rightly called the Mont Blanc of Pal- 
estine. Three separate heights form the sum- 
mit, and they rise about three thousand feet 
above the main ridge. Around one of its peaks 
are large stones which once formed a circu- 
lar wall. There is also the fragment of a col- 
umn, and the form of a small temple can be 
traced. It was once a sanctuary of the Syrians, 
notwithstanding that for some months of the 
year the whole surface must have been covered 
with snow. We know that the Syrians selected 
the summits of lofty mountains as places for the 
worship of their gods. In summer the snow 
disappears from parts of the loftiest peak, and 
only a few white lines remain as the autumn 
arrives ; but then it is covered again and lifts to 
heaven its mighty dome in its mantle of snow. 
Its chief glory will ever be its place in the Bible, 
and especially its association with the transfigu- 
ration of Christ, whose face was as the sun and 
whose garments were whiter even than Hermon's 
snow. These words of Dean Stanley, who more 
than any other writer catches the poetic, the his- 
toric, and the religious aspect of these scenes, 
are truthful : 



390 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



So long as its snowy tops were seen, there was never want- 
ing to the Hebrew poetry the image of unearthly grandeur 
which nothing else but perpetual snow can give, especially 
as seen in the summer, when the firmament around it seems 
to be on fire. And not grandeur only, but fertility and 
beauty were held up as it were on its heights, as a model 
for the less fortunate regions which looked up to it. " His 
fruit shall shake like Lebanon." 1 The "dews" of the 
mists that rose from its watery ravines, or of the clouds that 
rested on its summit, were perpetual witnesses of freshness 
and coolness, the sources, as it seemed, of all the moisture, 
which was to the land of Palestine what the fragrant oil was 
to the garments of the high priest, what the refreshing in- 
fluence of brotherly love was to the whole community. 

It was Sunday morning, but we were afraid to 
defer our journey lest we should be caught in 
the tribal conflicts of the two tribes already 
named. The paths up the mountain were very 
rough. We kept the castle in view until we 
passed the top of the hill, and soon were at the 
Druse village of Me j del. Here we saw at the 
threshing-floor of the village large numbers of 
the Druses fully armed and preparing for the 
expected battle on the morrow. Constantly on 
our journey we met others hastening to the ap- 
pointed place of meeting. We felt quite safe so 
long as we had their sheik for our chief guide ; 
for they would not attack any one under his pro- 
tection. Far up among the mountains we stopped 
beside an old winepress to which camels were 
carrying great loads of grapes, which the men 
and boys took from the backs of the camels 
while they knelt for that purpose. The old press 



1 Ps. 72 : 16. 



FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 391 



was being put in order for expressing the juice 
of the grape. Under the shadow of a rock we 
made a fire, cooked our breakfast, and ate it with 
a relish seldom surpassed by guests at any table. 
The supply of grapes was abundant, and a good 
appetite made all parts of the breakfast tooth- 
some. 

Soon we were off again. It was a long ride 
over a rough road and during several hours 
under a burning sun. The dragoman gave me 
credit for being an early and a tireless rider. 
The lofty plain named Merj-el-Hadr was crossed, 
then a wild glen with an abundant stream, then 
dreary and desolate stretches, with here and there 
an oasis. Then we came to a brook called Je- 
nani, which when united to another stream be- 
comes the historic Pharpar, which Naaman the 
Syrian general regarded as one of the waters 
superior to all the waters of Israel. New and 
superb views of Hermon were secured from quite 
different points from any we had hitherto en- 
joyed. Kefr-Hauwar is the usual camping-place ; 
this village though surrounded by pleasure gar- 
dens and groves has little to commend it to 
travelers. The inhabitants are Moslems and not 
always friendly to Christians. There is a tradi- 
tion that Nimrod is buried here. We now dis- 
missed our Druse sheik, and my considerate 
Abdallah led as before. Possibly we might be 
able to reach Damascus, but to ride thither from 
Banias in one day was too much for the horses, 
even though the riders might endure so much 
hardship. On we pressed ; the bleak desert was 



392 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



behind us. Before us was Damascus. My heart 
beat fast at the thought of being near and so 
soon being in the city of which I had so often 
read and spoken. A wearisome ride it was, over 
fearful roads, which once must have been much 
better, else the chariot of Naaman could not 
have made the journey. Now we reach the old 
Roman road — marvelous road-makers were these 
Romans — from Egypt and Palestine to Damas- 
cus. Glad are we to be on this road. We are 
near the spot where, according to well-founded 
tradition, the Apostle Paul saw the wondrous 
light, heard the divine voice, fell to the earth in 
deep amazement, and rose with blind eyes, but 
with an obedient heart, to be led like a child into 
Damascus. How the words of Scripture came to 
my mind ! How real the story of Saul's conver- 
sion ! How matchless the grace of Christ ex- 
alted to give repentance and remission of sins. 
Read again part of Acts 9 : " As he journeyed, 
he came near Damascus : and suddenly there 
shined round about him a light from heaven : 
and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice say- 
ing unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou 
me? . . . And he trembling and astonished said, 
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? And the 
Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, 
and it shall be told thee what thou must do. . . 
And Saul arose from the earth ; and when his 
eyes were opened, he saw no man : but they led 
him by the hand, and brought him into Damas- 
cus." 

Yonder is the great plain of Damascus ; it 



FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 393 



is a sea of greenness and beauty. Soon we 
shall see the white minarets of the ancient city. 
On our left are the slopes of Lebanon. All 
about us are streams of water, long lines of 
trees, abundant groves and gardens compared 
with the desolate mountains and dreary deserts, 
and the waterless and treeless wastes we have 
passed. The city of Damascus and its environs 
will be beautiful enough almost to justify the 
exaggerated language of the Arabian prince who 
is often quoted as fearing if he entered this 
earthly paradise he might lose the right to enter 
the heavenly paradise ; but to those who have 
seen the other places of beauty, Damascus may 
be something of a disappointment. We can, 
however, rejoice, and we do rejoice in the waters 
of Abana and Pharpar, which certainly are 
abundant and magnificent, while we linger for 
the night outside of Damascus, which, probably, 
is the oldest city of the world. 

In this suburban town, as it may be called, 
there is a new khan ; Abdallah will test it. In 
the court are the horses, the sheep, goats, and 
dogs ; but around, and one story above the court, 
are rooms for human beings. The khan is 
new; it is not yet furnished. It never will be, 
as we understand that term. Here is a room ; it 
has neither bed nor chair. Two chairs are found ; 
perhaps they will bear one's weight. For a bed 
two tables are found and placed in order; our 
own bedding is carefully examined, beaten and 
shaken, and the bed is made. How high can 
fleas jump? Not so high, it is hoped, as these 



394 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



tables. Blessed thought ! We can outwit them ; 
we can have a night of refreshing sleep — a lux- 
ury not enjoyed for several long nights. Was I 
thinking less of Paul's conversion and of God's 
grace than of rny prospective repose? Well, 
one's thoughts will wander from historic events 
to present discomforts ; but the higher and holier 
scenes, it may honestly be said, were not forgot- 
ten. 

We had at this place an illustration of my 
dragoman's wisdom in securing the protection of 
the sheik of the Druses during the day. I was 
disposed to resent the apparent necessity of se- 
curing the services of this man. Was I not an 
American citizen traveling with an American 
passport? Did I not have a Turkish tezkereh, 
or permission to travel from one vilayet to an- 
other within the Turkish empire ? Was not this 
tezkereh properly examined, and did it not have 
the necessary police visa ? Had I not a right to 
demand the protection of the United States Gov- 
ernment and also of the Turkish Government? 
But my dragoman reasoned that these bandits 
knew little of and cared less for the Turkish 
Government, and that they knew nothing of 
and so cared nothing for the government of the 
United States. No sooner had we reached the 
kahn than a local policeman appeared and ex- 
amined our tezkerehs ; he saw that mine was 
on an American passport. He immediately 
asked, " What is America ? Where is it?" The 
dragoman replied that it was a great republic 
on the other side of the sea. The policeman 



FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 395 



then asked : "To what country does it belong, 
to France, Italy, Spain, Germany, or Great 
Britain?" The dragoman informed him that 
it belonged to no country, but was itself a larger 
and mightier country than several other coun- 
tries rolled into one. The policeman seemed 
still doubtful, but finally admitted that possibly 
he had once heard of that country. My Ameri- 
can dignity was considerably decreased by such 
monumental ignorance ; and I immediately saw 
that if a policeman in a suburb of Damascus 
showed such ignorance, I could expect nothing 
of the highwaymen of the deserts and the hills. 

The Oldest City. — The night's repose was 
truly had, and early the next morning we were 
riding, at times galloping, toward Damascus. 
To enter this city is an experience which no 
one who has ever enjoyed it will forget. For 
miles we rode by groves and gardens, and soon 
the white minarets rose out of the green groves 
and I had my first sight of the famous city. I 
was reminded of the description of it which I 
read some years ago when it was compared to 
a a pearl surrounded with emeralds." Doctor 
Pusey says of it : "Its white buildings, embedded 
in the deep green of its engirdling orchards, 
were like diamonds encircled by emeralds." 
The Arabs say : " If there is a Garden of Eden 
on earth, it is Damascus ; and if in heaven, Da- 
mascus is like it on earth." As already sug- 
gested, however, its beauty is great only by con- 
trast with the bleak deserts near it, but in any 



396 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



other light the descriptions of its beauty are 
scarcely pardonable exaggerations. We can- 
tered through its gates. If there was a grateful 
man in Syria, I was that man. We made the 
trip from Jerusalem in seven and one-half days ; 
usually it takes ten for the journey, and many 
persons occupy twenty days in making it. It 
might be made without much difficulty in six 
days — we would have done it in that time — but 
the fact that it is impossible to find stopping- 
places for the night at convenient intervals 
when one is traveling without a tent. 1 Wel- 
come was the sight of Damascus; welcome its 
streams, groves, and gardens, and welcome its 
clean and excellent hotels. A good hotel is 
one of the high-w T ater marks of civilization. 
What is even the oldest city in the world with- 
out a good hotel? Good hotels have made 
many places more famous than great battles, 
heroic endeavors, and knightly achievements. 
Were w T e grateful for a clean room, a good bath, 
and what, by contrast with the past few days, 
was an Epicurean table ? We were ; and no 
apology is made for the gratitude experienced. 
Any student of etiology, or of theology, will 
appreciate the reasonableness of being grateful 
for a good hotel. 

All Damascus w T as stirred by the tribal trou- 

1 It is customary for dragomans and the traveling agencies, 
like Cook and Gaze, to take much more time than is really neces- 
sary ; and it is inevitable that they will all charge more than 
double what would be a fair profit on the expense they incur and 
the service they render. These remarks are made with absolutely 
certain knowledge of their truth. 



FROM BANIAS TO DAMASCUS 397 



bles of which mention has been made. In coun- 
tries where law and order are the exception, 
where reliable information is impossible, and 
where superstition is dominant, the people are 
excitable and utterly unreliable. Here we found 
four Americans who were pastors of churches or 
editors of religious papers, and who were de- 
tained from going over the route by which we 
had just come. They entered Syria at Beirut, 
and so were reversing the journey I had taken, 
or was yet to take. Their dragoman would not 
start because of the rumors ; and he was charg- 
ing them eight dollars per day each, they being 
able to do nothing and he reaping an enor- 
mous profit. There ought to be a limit to the 
fleecing to which one will submit even in Syria 
and Palestine. There is a grand chance for 
some enterprising American to make a hand- 
some profit and yet to carry travelers for half 
the usual rates. This clerical party tried hard 
to be happy and grateful, but they did not suc- 
ceed to a degree which would warrant the vera- 
cious chronicler in giving them credit for either 
virtue ; indeed a little wholesome indignation on 
their part was a virtue which they properly pos- 
sessed and partly exhibited. 

I had the opportunity of seeing a Syrian wed- 
ding party at the hotel. The hotel keeper, who 
was once, so rumor said, engaged to an American 
woman, had just been married at Beirut to a 
Syrian. The wedding party arrived in the 
evening. They left the railway at the station 
next to Damascus, and entered the ancient city 



398 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



in carriages. The hotel was in a state of great 
excitement on their arrival, all parts of it being 
decorated with flowers and all the servants being 
in their gayest attire. The Christian women of 
Damascus were on hand to give their congratu- 
lations. The bridal party soon came, reminding 
one of the descriptions in the Bible and also in 
the many accounts of customs and manners in 
the Bast. I had the honor of being invited to 
give my congratulations in the hotel parlor. A 
goodly company was assembled. The language 
of the people among themselves was Arabic, but 
to outsiders it was French, and some in the com- 
pany could speak English. Then there was a 
wedding dinner, congratulatory speeches, and 
vigorous cheering of the same. In this last 
exercise the clergymen mentioned and myself 
participated, assuming that the sentiments ex- 
pressed were appropriate and the wishes cordial. 
Some Damascus people in the company, learning 
that I was from New York, immediately asked 
me about merchants of that city who deal in 
Oriental goods, and by me sent messages to some 
of them. The world is very small. Two men 
who were met in Damascus immediately called 
me by name ; they had once lived in New York. 
In three cities visited on this journey some 
members of the Calvary Church are now living. 
Thus it came to pass that the first half-day in 
the oldest city in the world, in its wedding fes- 
tivities, its business interests, and its fraternal 
greetings, was not unlike half a day in the larg- 
est city of the New World. 



XXXVIII 



DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 

BITS OF HISTORY.— Before going through 
the streets of this very ancient city, it is 
necessary that we familiarize ourselves with 
parts of its history and of the country to which 
it belongs. Damascus is well known as one of 
the most ancient cities of the world. It is first 
mentioned in Gen. 14 : 15 ; 15:2, and it has been 
frequently asserted that it is the oldest city on the 
globe. Josephus considers that it is older than 
the time of Abraham. Shakespeare locates here 
the murder of Abel by Cain. (King Henry VI.) 

Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot ; 
This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain, 
To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt 

Its name in Hebrew is Dammesek ; in Arabic it 
is Dimeshk; but natives of to-day call it Esh- 
sham. It was formerly the capital of old Syria, 
and now of a Turkish vilayet of Syria. There 
are many legends, both Jewish, Christian, and 
Moslem regarding its origin. Josephus supposes 
that it was founded by Uz, the son of Aran, and 
grandson of Shem. It seems at least to have 
been a Semitic settlement. 

But little, however, is known about Damascus 

399 



400 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



until the time of David. He conquered the 
town after a bloody war, it being the ally of his 
enemy, the king of Zobah. David placed a gar- 
rison in the town. An adventurer called Rezin 
made himself the master of Damascus during the 
reign of Solomon. Its history during this period 
is closely associated with the lives of Naaman, 
Ben-hadad, Hazael, and Rezin. We see by 2 
Kings 1 6 : 7-9 that it was subdued by Tiglath- 
Pileser. It occupies no small place in the 
prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Kzekiel, and 
Amos, and we know that it became subject to 
the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Seleucidse, 
and Romans. In New Testament times it was 
held for a short time by Aretas, king of Arabia- 
Petrsea, under' the Romans. At this period 
Josephus affirms that there were ten thousand 
Jews in Damascus put to death by the hand of 
Nero. We know that Jews so abounded in the 
city that the statement of Josephus does not seem 
to be improbable. 

It is memorable to all Christians because of its 
connection with the conversion of the Apostle 
Paul. Civilization, it is very evident, reached 
an advanced position in the early day in Damas- 
cus. Its mercantile greatness is clearly indicated 
by Bzekiel in the words addressed to Tyre, which 
was then the port of Damascus, as Beirut is now. 
It was an important commercial and manufac- 
turing city, and is the starting-point of the cara- 
vans in their traffic with the Bast, and especially 
with Persia. The language of the city in the 
early day was Syrian, and the religion seems to 



DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 



401 



have been the worship of Astarte. Damascus 
became important as the residence of Christian 
bishops, who ranked next to the patriarchate of 
Antioch. The Emperor Theodosius destroyed 
the heathen temples in Syria, and transformed 
the great temple of Damascus into a Christian 
church. 

Of course one of the brilliant periods in the 
history of Damascus begins with the introduc- 
tion of Mohammedanism. Damascus fell into 
the hands of the Arabs after the battle of 
Yarnuk, and under the great princes of the 
Ommiyades attained great splendor. These were 
the greatest princes that Arabia has produced. 
It is not possible, however, in this lecture to 
trace this history in detail ; but it may be said 
that in 11 26 the crusaders under Baldwin gained* 
a victory over part of the city, but were finally 
obliged to withdraw. In 1148 Damascus was 
besieged by Conrad III., and in 1260 it was 
taken by the Mongols, who favored the Chris- 
tians; but it was finally recaptured by Kotuz, 
the Mameluke sovereign of Egypt. The city 
was plundered by the Tartars in 1300, and in 
1516 the Turkish Sultan Selim took possession 
of the city, since which time it has been one of 
the provincial capitals of the Turkish Empire. 

Slaughter of Christians. — In i860 about 
six thousand nominal Christians were slaughtered 
in the city. A massacre of the Christians -in 
Lebanon by the Druses took place, and many 
Christians in the villages near Damascus fled to 

2A 



402 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



the city for refuge. The Mohammedans there, 
on a general signal, rose and began a general 
massacre. This is one of the most cruel trage- 
dies of modern times, exceeded only by the re- 
cent barbarity of the Turks and Kurds in 
Armenia. The Christian quarter still bears 
traces of these awful cruelties. Colonel Churchill 
has graphically told the story as to how on the 
9th of July the whole Christian quarter was in 
flames. The entire water supply was cut off, 
and the hopeless people were shut in by an en- 
closure of fire and steam. Abd-el-kader, the 
exiled chieftain of Algiers, then living in retire- 
ment in Damascus, heroically rescued all the 
wretched sufferers, so far as it was possible for him 
so to do. Hundreds were escorted to his house ; 
and many repaired to the British Consulate ; but 
all through the awful night, and during the 
whole of the following day, the terrible massacre 
continued. One reason for the massacre, it is 
believed, was an article in the treaty of Paris 
in 1856, which it was thought excluded foreign 
intervention in the affairs of Turkey, and by 
this interpretation placed Christians at the mercy 
of the Moslems. The insurrection against the 
English in India also inflamed the minds of the 
Moslems against Christians in Syria. It is said 
that Ahmed Pasha gave the Druse assassins the 
signal to begin their awful work ; it is known 
that the Druses, the Turkish soldiers, and the 
populace of the town all united to murder the 
Christians and to devastate their quarter. The 
bodies of murdered Christians were piled up in 



DAMASCUS "THE ANCIENT 403 



enormous heaps in the city. Some of the clergy 
were slain beside the altar to which they had 
gone for refuge. In the mountains a similar 
slaughter took place, when the Druses vented 
their wrath on the Maronites. The whole num- 
ber of the slain in the country districts is said 
to have been at least one thousand four hundred. 
All Europe finally became aroused, and not 
until then did the Turkish government attempt 
to stop the terrible slaughter. A number of the 
leaders, including Ahmed Pasha and several 
Jews, were arrested at Damascus and beheaded ; 
and ten thousand French soldiers were sent to 
Syria, and they succeeded in restoring nominal 
peace ; but the relation between Moslems and 
Christians is still very insecure, and an outbreak 
at any moment would not surprise those who are 
familiar with all the facts. 

Location and Description. — Damascus is 
situated in a vast plain of extreme fertility, lying 
east of the great chain of Anti-Libanus on the 
edge of the desert. It is nearly circular, and is 
about thirty miles in diameter. Its shape and 
fertility are due to the river Barada, which is 
supposed to be the Abana of Scripture. This 
river rises on the western flank of Anti-Libanus, 
and finally turns suddenly its waters through the 
plain. Seen from the mountains, Damascus ap- 
pears beautiful in the extreme. One can readily 
understand how it has come to have so conspicu- 
ous a place in the history, the traffic, the poetry, 
and the legends of Syria and the Orient. For a 



404 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



long period it was the solitary place of civiliza- 
tion in Syria, and it will doubtless retain its 
great influence and power in all coming genera- 
tions. In the midst of the plain, surrounded by 
trees of many kinds, this city rises from the mass 
of foliage. Its white minarets are in striking 
contrast to the rich green by which they are sur- 
rounded ; snowy Hermon overlooks the beautiful 
scene, while many bare and barren mountains 
form a background the better to display the 
charms of the city and the plain. The Barada 
is carried by many streams into cisterns, baths, 
and fountains ; it thus irrigates city and plain, 
turning a desert into a garden. 

Damascus has always demanded and always 
received the homage of the Orient. She is a 
city of eternal youth, and many have striven to 
discover the secret of her perpetual vitality. 
Dr. George Adam Smith, in his volume to which 
I have several times referred, tells us that if we 
look eastward we can understand Damascus. 
He further remarks that we might as well ques- 
tion the site of New York, or of Sidney, or of 
San Francisco. Beyond and immediately behind 
Damascus there is nothing but deserts. The 
river Abana bursts full-born from the heart of 
Anti-Lebanon ; after running a course of ten 
miles in a narrow gorge it flings itself in sudden 
streams abroad in the plain, and finally dies 
away in a large marsh. The river does not 
waste her waters, but expends them on a broad 
sweep of territory. This river transforms a 
desert into a garden of beauty, and it virtually 



DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 405 



creates this marvelous city. Damascus endures, 
although often conquered. Nineveh, Babylon, 
and Memphis mastered her ; but, as she probably 
preceded, she certainly has outlived these cities. 
She is endowed with perpetual youth. She will 
ever charm the visitor, and will be a great city 
for trade, and also a headquarters of Islam in 
her pilgrimages to and from Mecca. 

However fascinating the sight of the city is as 
one approaches it, a nearer view shows that, like 
most Oriental cities, it contains much that is 
offensive to every sense, as well as repulsive to 
every moral instinct. It is interesting chiefly 
because it is the most purely Oriental city still 
existing of all those mentioned in the Bible. 
The cloth still known as " damask " is believed 
to have originated here ; and the Damascus steel 
was long unequaled in any part of the w r orld. 
The knowledge of this steel, and of the manner 
of manufacturing it into blades, was carried from 
Damascus to Toledo in Spain ; and the Toledo 
blade now probably surpasses the blades of Da- 
mascus in the earlier day. An extensive trade 
is still carried on in silks, fruits, sweetmeats, 
etc., and great caravans assemble here as in the 
olden time. It is also a point of meeting and 
departure of enormous pilgrimages to Bagdad 
and Mecca. As the meeting-place of so many 
nations of the East, Damascus is a peculiarly 
important station for mission work. 

Bazaars of Damascus. — The bazaars of Da- 
mascus are celebrated all over the world ; they 



406 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



are perhaps more extensive and imposing than 
those of Cairo, although Cairo is a much larger 
city. Damascus supplies not only its own in- 
habitants, but also the population of the Hauran, 
as well as the Bedouins of extensive districts east 
of the Jordan and in many parts of Syria. Many 
of the bazaars are in the streets, carefully covered 
with wooden roofs, the light struggling through 
small windows. The bazaars are also classified, 
there being the Saddler's Bazaar, the Silk Bazaar, 
the Fez Bazaar, where all sorts of turbans, caps, 
and Oriental headgear can be bought ; the Greek 
Bazaar, which is most attractive for its antiquities 
of many kinds and its Damascus blades ; the 
Tobacco Bazaar, with all kinds of mouth-pieces ; 
the Booksellers' Bazaar, where only Mohamme- 
dan books can be bought ; the Coppersmith's 
Bazaar, with its wonderful dishes and culinary 
utensils ; the Boot and Shoe Bazaar, where dec- 
orated slippers of marvelous shapes and colors 
can be secured ; and still other bazaars of many 
kinds, with their proprietors seated behind their 
wares apparently indifferent to the intending 
purchaser, but ever ready to ask about four times 
as much as they will finally take for their goods. 

In wandering through the streets at night, the 
old law, not yet entirely obsolete, requires you 
to carry a lantern. If found without one, arrest 
may follow. The lanterns are not unlike those 
of the Chinese, common among us to illuminate 
gardens and lawns. If a gate in a street is closed 
the traveler shouts : " Ifta ya Haris^ which be- 
ing interpreted it, " Open, O watchman." Here, 



DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 407 



as in almost all other parts of the world, a little 
silver to cross the palm of the watchman secures 
at once the desired opening of the gate. 

The population of Damascus has been placed 
at various figures. It is extremely difficult to be 
certain in a matter of this kind. Perhaps we are 
safe in saying that it is at least one hundred and 
fifty thousand ; and perhaps one hundred thou- 
sand are Moslems, six thousand Jews, and about 
eight thousand are Christians of different vari- 
eties. There are also Armenians and Maronites, 
Latins, and a few Protestants ; it is computed 
that the Moslems have nearly one hundred and 
fifty mosques and colleges in Damascus ; seventy- 
one of these are the large mosques in which 
sermons are preached on Fridays. Others are 
chapels and schools for instruction in the laws 
and prayers of the Moslem faith. The Moslems 
of Damascus are notorious for their fanaticism. 

This city was once a great resort for scholars, 
but now Cairo enjoys the fame which has de- 
serted Damascus. The Jews are chiefly descend- 
ants of those settled in this vicinity in ancient 
times. Christians within the last few years have 
made great efforts to establish Protestant mis- 
sions in Damascus. The efforts of the English 
missions to the Jews have not been very success- 
ful, but services are still held in English and 
Arabic. Our American missionaries have estab- 
lished schools in Damascus, and their labors are 
attended with considerable encouragement. Both 
the Franciscans and the Jesuits have schools, or- 
phanages, and other religious establishments. 



408 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



The Damascenes are, as is to be expected, very 
proud of their city. The pride of the Moslems 
is exceeded only by their ignorance. They vig- 
orously oppose the spirit of progress introduced 
from the West, and consider themselves superior 
to all other nations. In walking through the 
streets one is constantly exhorted by street ven- 
dors to buy various meats and drinks. The 
street-boy mingles a strange sort of religious ear- 
nestness with his appeals for trade. As he rattles 
his copper cups, the drinkseller shouts, " O 
cheer thine heart," and the bread boy cries, " O 
Allah, who sustainest us, send us trade." Friday 
is the market day and then the crowds are enor- 
mous in size, and dangerous in their fanaticism. 
On these days especially one may see Persians 
in gorgeous silks, Nubians in black and white, 
Jews with and without ringlets, and also the 
Bedouin of the desert in his cloak of black and 
white, or of some gorgeous color ; and in the 
fearful crowds occasionally strangely dressed pil- 
grims on their way to Mecca are seen. The 
confusion is indescribable — every one shouting 
at the top of his voice. Dogs are to the right of 
us and to the left of us ; they are sweetly sleep- 
ing on the pavements during the day, and the 
traveler must step over them carefully. They 
largely sleep by day, and they howl and prowl by 
night. They are the scavengers of all Oriental 
cities ; but for them many of these cities would 
be hotbeds of cholera and typhoid fever. They 
are, therefore, treated with a certain sort of kind- 
liness as friends of humanity. Through these 



DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 409 



crowded streets caravans of camels and donkeys 
are driven, some of them carrying tourists or 
sailors who have just arrived from Beirut. In 
the midst of all this excitement, in the bazaars 
the richly robed merchants smoke their tchi- 
bouks and sip their coffee, or with endless chat- 
ter wait on their customers. In the khans whole- 
sale trade is conducted. These khans are usually 
owned by wealthy merchants, and here carpets 
of Persia, muslins of India, and the prints of 
Manchester can be bought. 

Places of Special Interest. — The Great 
Mosque was recently burned. I could only gaze 
upon its majestic ruins. Until a short time ago, 
110 Christian was permitted to enter its portal ; 
but previous to its destruction by fire Christians 
could be admitted, going in parties not larger 
than twenty persons and by having made appli- 
cation to the consul. The mosque stood in a 
spacious quadrangle ; it is larger than the mosque 
of Omar and has had a remarkable history. Once 
Christianity was a mighty power in Damascus. 
The metropolitan bishop of Damascus with seven 
of his suffragans attended the council of Nice in 
325 ; but Islam gained power, and Christianity 
was placed under the ban. Once the temple that 
had been sacred to Jupiter was consecrated to 
Jesus, and dedicated to John the Baptist ; but 
this Christian church became a Mohammedan 
mosque. Strangely enough, however, although 
the crescent usurped the place of the cross, until 
the recent fire this inscription was on a minaret : 



4IO SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



"Thy kingdom, O Christ, is a kingdom of all 
ages, and thy dominion lasts throughout genera- 
tions." That inscription seemed prophetic of a 
time when Christ shall reign over the hearts of 
the people of Damascus. In earlier days the pul- 
pit, the court, and the minarets of this mosque 
attracted much attention. There was a minaret 
called " Madinet 'Isa," meaning the minaret of 
Jesus. This minaret was so named from the 
tradition that when Jesus comes to judge the 
world, he will appear first on this minaret. It 
is believed by some that this mosque was on the 
site of the temple of Rimmon. If this is so, then 
it was here that Naaman reared his own altar 
and deposited the " two mules' burden of earth," 
according to the account given in 2 Kings 5. 

In the presence of the ruins of this mosque 
and under the influence of these traditions, one 
certainly feels that he is in the atmosphere of 
ancient history. It has also been suggested that 
it was in this temple that King Ahaz saw the 
altar which so pleased him that he had it repro- 
duced in Jerusalem. 1 

All Christian travelers are especially interested 
in the localities which are connected with scrip- 
tural events. "The street called Straight," every 
traveler will wish to see, and to travel through- 
out its entire length. This is doubtless the street 
named in the New Testament. Mark Twain 
puns on the word "called" in connection with 
the name of this street. It must be admitted 



1 2 Kings 16 : 10-12. 



DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 



411 



that the street is not very straight, neither is it 
architecturally beautiful ; but traces are found 
of the colonnade which once adorned the street, 
and which perhaps gave it beauty in the early 
day. The natives called it the "street of Bazaars." 
The street is at least a mile long, and runs across 
the city from west to east. It certainly was much 
wider at one time than it is now. The house of 
Judas is also shown, but it is not in the " street 
called Straight." 

The tombs and mausoleums are a marked 
feature of Damascus. The gates also attract the 
attention of all visitors. The "East Gate" bears 
memorials of Roman masonry ; near the closed 
gate Bab Kisan, — it has been closed for about 
seven hundred years, — is the Christian cemetery. 
It is a matter of great interest that Buckle, the 
famous English historian, is buried here. His 
pathetic regret that his book was not finished as 
he felt the approach of death, has touched the 
hearts of all familiar with the circumstances of 
his death. Near the "Little Gate" is a great 
Moslem . cemetery in which it is claimed that 
three of the wives of Mohammed are buried. 
One still sees houses upon the wall which will 
illustrate the story of the escape of the Apostle 
Paul as given in the Acts of the Apostles. The 
house of Naaman is pointed out. It is now ap- 
propriately a leper hospital. I visited the so- 
called house of Ananias. It is now used as a 
place of prayer, and is under the control of the 
Latins. The "suburb of Meidan " consists of a 
broad and badly paved street about a mile long. 



412 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Here motley crowds are constantly seen. The 
environs of Damascus are deeply interesting, and 
at least a day might well be spent in making 
them a visit. We know that at least four differ- 
ent places have been pointed out at different 
times as the place of the conversion of the 
Apostle Paul. One place is near, or a part of, 
what is now used as the Christian cemetery ; but 
it is easy to see that this cannot be the place, as 
it is on the eastern side of the city, and we know 
the apostle approached the city from the north 
or west. It is much more likely to be the place 
outside of the city, near which the writer spent 
a night, and which is mentioned in the preceding 
chapter ; but there is no special objection to the 
place pointed out in the walls as that where the 
apostle was let down by a basket. 1 

For two days I walked through the streets, 
bazaars, markets, baths, and other places of in- 
terest in Damascus. The visit to this ancient 
city will never be forgotten. It was the realiza- 
tion of a long-cherished desire. The streets are 
as thoroughly ancient as those of Cairo. In this 
city the traveler can thoroughly learn the char- 
acteristics of the Orientals. Two busy days may 
well be spent here ; but thoroughly to enjoy the 
city, a larger stay would be necessary. I have 
striven to describe the city fairly, without the 
exaggerated appreciation of some travelers, or 
the equally exaggerated depreciation of others. 
It must be judged purely as an Oriental city ; 



1 Acts 9 : 25. 



DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 413 



otherwise one's judgment would be conspicu- 
ously unfair. After the days spent in climbing 
barren hills, and the nights in wretched hotels, 
the beauty of the city was great by comparison, 
and judging by the same standard the hotel w r as 
excellent. Forever will the memory of Damas- 
cus, the metropolis of Syria, " the eye of the 
East," and the dream of the ages, live in my 
memory. 



CHAPTER XXXIX 



BAALBEK — " CITY OF THE SUN " 

EARLY in the morning we left Damascus by 
railway for Beirut, taking in Baalbek on 
the way. It was with reluctance that we took 
our last views of the ancient and beautiful, the 
romantic and dreamful, city of Damascus. The 
hope of visiting Baalbek led us to hasten our 
journey from Jerusalem to Damascus ; and so 
having gained at least a day on that journey it 
became possible to take in Baalbek, and yet get 
to Beirut in time to take the steamer on the in- 
tended date. Travelers with great ambition and 
limited time learn largely to gratify the one, and 
correspondingly to economize the other. Trains 
had but recently begun to run on the railway 
between Damascus and Beirut ; but one trip each 
way each day was made. The fares were high 
and the track was far from smooth ; but one was 
glad enough to avail himself of more modern 
methods of travel for long distances than on the 
back of a horse. My contract with the drago- 
man ceased at Damascus ; but, as I had to pay 
his fare to Beirut, he readily entered into a satis- 
factory arrangement to go with me to Baalbek. 
The morning was hot, and the air lifeless as we 
started from Damascus. We wound slowly up 
414 



BAALBEK — "CITY OF THE SUN " 415 



the sides of Anti-Lebanon to its top, and slowly 
down its opposite side. Glorious views greeted 
us in whatever direction we looked. We passed 
many small villages, saw everywhere the trans- 
formations produced by the streams, which in 
the Orient are literally waters of life, and re- 
joiced in the charming vistas furnished by rocky 
glens and wild ravines. 

The railway was still a novelty in these 
mountain regions, and the country people came 
in numbers to gaze upon this marvel of our 
time. Places of historic interest and ruins 
worthy of study were passed, and in about 
four hours we were in Zahleh. This is the 
largest town in Lebanon, as it has a popula- 
tion of nearly sixteen thousand, nine-tenths 
of whom are nominally Christians. A mem- 
ber of the Calvary Church lives here. The 
town has an air of comfort, cleanliness, intelli- 
gence, and prosperity very rare in Palestine. 
Christianity brings intelligence, and so prosperity. 
Here one saw women without the distinctive 
dress of the Mohammedan women, women of 
more beauty, intelligence, and character than 
those we had been seeing for weeks, women with 
hope in their faces and some degree of joy in 
their lives. Christianity is the one religion which 
really exalts woman. It was a joy to be in an 
atmosphere more Occidental than Oriental, more 
Christian than Mohammedan. Many of the 
people about us had been students in Protestant 
and other Christian schools in Beirut ; and their 
appearance testified to the value of the instruc- 



41 6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



tion they had received. During the fearful mas- 
sacre of i860, of which mention has been made 
in the chapter on Damascus, the town of Zahleh 
suffered terribly. The Druses captured and 
burned most of it to the ground ; but now it is 
rebuilt, and signs of prosperity are everywhere 
manifested. Miles of vineyards are seen, and in 
the town and vicinity there are many thriving 
manufactories. 

In Zahleh we hired a carriage to take us 
to Baalbek. The numbers, volubility, and per- 
tinacity of the drivers of carriages at this 
station are alarming to contemplate. Those 
of them who could speak English bombarded 
our ears with their badly fractured sentences, 
and they all surrounded us with almost threat- 
ening attitudes. But " cabby " is virtually the 
same fellow in all lands and languages ; and 
those who remember the attitudes, and the 
u keb," "keb," of our New York cabmen will 
not be greatly astonished at the nearly equally 
good English, and perhaps little greater impor- 
tunity, of the Syrian Jehus. Some travelers en- 
gage in Damascus carriages for this journey ; 
but they can be had at Zahleh for less than half 
the amount demanded by the hotel keepers in 
Damascus, — that is to say, for four to five dollars, 
with two horses and driver, going to Baalbek in 
the afternoon and returning to Zahleh the next 
morning, the driver "finding" himself and his 
horses in Baalbek. 

Charming was the ride up the broad, rich 
valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. One 



BAALBEK — "CITY OF THE SUN " 417 

feels all the time that he is nearer Europe than 
he has been at any time since he entered the 
East. The valley is fairly well cultivated, and 
is smooth and for the most part level. Yonder 
on our right is pointed out the reputed tomb of 
Noah. Somehow it seemed strange to learn that 
Noah had a tomb ; it had not occurred to us ever 
to think about his tomb. But really why should 
he not have a tomb ? Worse men than he have 
several tombs. Now that a tomb has been 
given him it certainly is large enough to satisfy 
a reasonable ambition in that respect. It is said 
to be between fifty and sixty yards long. The 
most probable supposition, however, is that it is 
simply a disused aqueduct. As we ride we see 
here and there villages beautifully situated, sur- 
rounded by groves and orchards, and in the midst 
of fertile fields ; off in the distance we see rising 
before us the world-famous ruins which we have 
come to visit ; and here on our right as we ap- 
proach the town, are the quarries, whence the 
great stones used in the enormous temple of the 
Sun and other gigantic structures were taken. 
We leave the carriage to examine one stone 
which has long been the wonder of all travelers. 
Mark Twain speaks of it as being as large as an 
American railway car ; and his description of it 
is scarcely an exaggeration. It is put down in 
the guidebooks as being seventy-one feet long, 
fourteen feet high, and thirteen feet broad. Its 
estimated weight is one thousand five hundred 
tons. It still lies where the Phoenician work- 
men left it, perhaps four thousand years ago. It 

2B 



41 8 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



bears locally a suggestive name, but one which 
our sense of propriety will scarcely permit us to 
quote and explain. We are now in the historical 
city, and are located with reasonable comfort at 
one of the several hotels, and are ready to master 
some historic facts before going out to visit the 
magnificent ruins. 

Name and History. — The ancient Syrian 
name was Ba'aldach. The Grseco-Roman writers 
called it Heliopolis, City of the Sun, and the 
modern name is Baalbek, spelled differently by 
different writers. " To the great gods of Helio- 
polis," is a part of the inscription in the grand 
portico of the temple still existing. John Malala, 
of Antioch, a writer of the seventh century, 
states that "JSlius Antoninus Pius built at He- 
liopolis of Phoenicia, in Lebanon, a great temple 
to Jupiter, which was one of the wonders of the 
world." The first part of this inscription shows 
that this temple was originally a Pantheon. It 
also stated that coins of an early date show that 
there were two temples at Baalbek, the smaller 
of which was probably the temple of Baal. In 
Hebrew this word means lord ; it was the name, 
as we well know, given by the Phoenicians and 
Canaanites to their chief deity, the sun ; this 
deity shared with Astarte, the moon, the honors 
of their worship. Baalbek in Arabic means 
"The City or Place of the Sun"; it has been 
suggested, with probability, that Baalbek cor- 
responds with Baal-gad, " the troop of the sun," 
mentioned in the book of Joshua more than 



EAAUBEK — "CITY OE THE SUN " 419 



once. 1 These references may locate this place 
where the ruins of Baalbek stand to-day. The 
Greeks naturally translated the word into their 
own tongue, hence the name Heliopolis, " City 
of the Sun," the name which Alexander the 
Great gave to the city of On, in Egypt. When 
the Romans were in possession of Syria, they 
would naturally dedicate this temple especially 
to the worship of Jupiter. 

I had the good fortune to have here a local 
guide who has made a careful study of every- 
thing connected with the history of this famous 
place. He has published the results of his in- 
vestigations, and has been in constant communi- 
cation with learned men in different countries ; 
but many problems are still unsolved, and some 
of them are probably unsolvable. There are 
certain evidences that Astarte, and later Venus, 
as well as Baal, were revered at Heliopolis. Con- 
stantine, it is believed, erected a Christian church 
here, and it is known that about his time Chris- 
tians were persecuted here. Between 379 and 
395 Theodosius the Great destroyed the Trilithon 
Temple, and transformed it into a Christian 
church. The Arabs finally conquered the place. 
They attributed all the antiquities to Solomon. 
They soon converted the acropolis into a citadel, 
and as such it occupied an important place in 
the wars of the Middle Ages. In 11 76 the cru- 
saders, under Raymond, went to Baalbek, de- 
feated Saladin, who came into possession of the 



1 Josh. II : 17 ; 12 : 7 ; 13 : 5. 



42 6 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



city the preceding year, and returned with much 
booty. After many changes in its ownership 
the ruins of Baalbek were re-discovered by Eu- 
ropeans in the middle of the sixteenth century ; 
it has suffered severely from earthquakes, and 
especially from one in 1759. 

The town lies three thousand eight hundred 
and forty feet above the sea level. Its popula- 
tion is put down as two thousand, and at least 
one-half are Christians of some sort, many of 
them probably of a very poor sort. It contains 
two Greek and two Maronite monasteries. The 
English Mission conducts a successful girls' 
school, and there are other forms of Protestant 
mission work. The tourist in Baalbek is con- 
scious of an atmosphere of antiquity and mys- 
tery as he gazes on the ruins of past civiliza- 
tions, walks under the shadow of the trees and 
by the streams of this interesting city. The 
great temple is now a mass of ruins, but it is 
easy to see that it was a peristyle, a temple with 
columns running around it. Only six columns 
now remain, which are about sixty feet high and 
have Corinthian capitals. In order to secure the 
iron clamps the Arabs have greatly injured these 
columns, and it would surprise no one w T ho had 
seen them to learn that they had fallen ; and so 
the superb ruins of perhaps the grandest temple 
the world has ever possessed, would be entirely 
destroyed. It is clear that originally there were 
seventeen columns on each side of the temple, 
and ten at each end, thus making fifty-four in 
all. The building thus enclosed was two hun- 



BAALBEK — "CITY OF THE SUN " 421 



dred and ninety feet long and one hundred and 
sixty feet broad. 

The temple of the Sun stands on a lower 
level than that of the Great Temple. Nineteen 
of its forty-six columns remain ; these columns 
were sixty-five feet in height, including base and 
capitals, and they are six feet three inches in di- 
ameter. More than a century ago one of these 
columns fell against the cella, and in that posi- 
tion it has remained ever since. The portal of 
the temple is exquisitely beautiful, its door posts 
being monoliths, and richly ornamented with 
foliage and genii. With my guide I walked 
several times around the walls, and studied with 
wonder its Cyclopean masonry. The stones are 
of enormous size ; everything is vast in concep- 
tion and execution. The temple was called the 
" Trilithon " ; a glance at this word shows that 
it means three-stoned, and probably the name 
was given because of the three vast stones on 
which I gazed with constantly increasing won- 
der. They are near one another and attract and 
chain the attention of every visitor. One is 
sixty-three feet long, another is sixty-three feet 
and eight inches, and the third is sixty-four feet 
long ; each stone is thirteen feet high and thir- 
teen feet thick, and their present position in the 
wall is about twenty feet above the ground. 
After all these years they fit to one another so 
perfectly that I had to look closely to discover 
the seams. The question is often asked, how 
they were raised to that position? My guide 
seemed to think that the ground was once suffi- 



422 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



ciently high to bring these stones near the ap- 
parent foundation ; but the question may still 
be asked, how were they ever brought from the 
quarry ? That question the science of our day 
fails satisfactorily to answer. Some say a chan- 
nel of water was dug to the quarry and they were 
floated on boats ; others that an inclined plane 
was constructed and that the stones were canted 
over and over by enormous "jacks," and perhaps 
partly by the aid of elephants or some other 
powerful animals. The fact is that we know 
nothing about the matter. Our boasted progress 
is brought to a condition of complete humilia- 
tion, if not to entire silence. 

The exterior of the Circular Temple is very 
fine. It is surrounded by eight Corinthian cap- 
itals and each is a monolith. Seldom does a 
traveler so fully feel his littleness, or the small- 
ness of our boasted civilization and irreverent 
spirit of progress, as he does at Baalbek. One 
almost feels that he is surrounded by the evi- 
dences of a civilization of Titans, or by the re- 
sults of the labors of a race of gods, or by the 
works of nature, as an immediate creation by 
God, rather than in the presence of the works of 
men's hands. The words of M. Pressense, though 
somewhat long, are truthful and eloquent and 
may be here reproduced : 

Baalbek, or Heliopolis, was an insignificant town of small 
note, except in the time of the decline of the Roman em- 
pire. One may judge from the remains of this inglorious 
city, with what a pride of pomp paganism arrayed itself be- 
fore its death. The temples of Baalbek date — at least as 



BAAIyBEK- — " CITY OF THE SUN " 423 



the time of their positive erection — from the reign of Anto- 
ninus Pius. The acropolis of the town was entirely isolated, 
and placed on an eminence, surrounded with gigantic 
walls, the stones of which belonged to that Phoenician 
architecture, which, by its colossal genius, has earned the 
name of Cyclopean. Three temples rose on this acropolis : 
a circular temple, of which there remain only a few highly 
decorated chapels ; a temple of Jupiter, which has pre- 
served a great part of its portico, and its cella quite entire, 
with its architrave ornate to excess, its fluted columns, and 
a rich profusion of decoration ; and a temple of the Sun, 
the remains of which clearly indicate its former grandeur. 
A peristyle led to a vast hexagon surrounded by niches and 
columns ; a large square court conducted to the sanctuary. 
To this edifice belonged the five splendid pillars which rear 
to such an astonishing height an enormous mass of stone, 
as finely carved as if designed for a temple of miniature 
proportions. 

The peculiar characteristic of this architecture is precisely 
this combination of the immense and the graceful, of Cy- 
clopean vastness with the refined elegance of an art already 
in its decadence, but still in possession of most marvelous 
processes. Nowhere is the Corinthian acanthus carved with 
more delicacy than on these gigantic blocks. After study- 
ing these three temples in detail, the mind must be aban- 
doned freely to the impression produced by the magnificent 
whole. The fallen fragments neaped on the ground are as 
wonderful as the standing remains. 

While the five pillars of the cella of the great temple 
rear themselves grandly to the eye, the earth around the 
foot of the isolated columns still standing is strewed with 
enormous debris, which form a magnificent pell-mell, dis- 
playing all imaginable forms of Grecian architecture. It is 
the ruin of an entire city, the ideal ruin of a dream, full of 
disorder, poetry, grandeur. This is the sublime cenotaph 
of two distinct but blended civilizations ; the old natural 
religions, which so long held Asia captive, mingle the 
wrecks of their colossal architecture with the exquisite forms 
that the genius of Greece threw off as if in sport. Spring 
casts the garland of her perpetual youth over this thrice 



424 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



dead past — a smiling irony ; camels and sheep graze on the 
grass which grows over columns and capitals. Picture the 
white chain of Libanus looking down on this overthrown 
city ; embrace in one comprehensive glance of thought all 
the contrasts blended here, and the thrilling effect of such 
a scene will be understood. 

And the words of another recent traveler in 
Palestine and Syria exactly expressed my feel- 
ings as the next morning we rode away, and I 
took my last look, perhaps forever, on the gigan- 
tic ruins of Baalbek. 

There are many things to wonder at and admire in Baal- 
bek. One never wearies of gazing upon those graceful 
ruins, beautiful from every aspect and in every light ; but 
it is not ' ' on holy ground ' ' that we are standing, and with 
the influence upon us which the ruins of Palestine have cre- 
ated, we forget the might of Phoenician strength, the poetry 
of Grecian architecture, the pomp of Roman power, and 
sigh to think that all this magnificence was pride, this wor- 
ship pagan, and all this skill and grace and beauty defiled 
by voluptuous and soul-destroying sin. I climbed a wall 
and sat upon a richly sculptured parapet, watching the sun- 
set. To the left was Hermon, to the right Lebanon, and at 
my feet the whole vast area of ruins. It was an hour full of 
suggestion, and one could not fail to trace how the word of 
the Lord was receiving its fulfillment ; how the false systems 
were lying in the dust and darkness, while his own prophetic 
proclamation was gaining daily new force and power : "I 
am the light of the world." 

The Phoenician heathenism, the Greek and 
Roman heathenism, have passed away. Jesus 
Christ is king. Over the ruins of every heathen 
faith his kingdom will rise. 



XL, 



BEIRUT 



k HE carriage ride from Baalbek to Zahleh 



was most enjoyable. At noon we took at 
Zahleh the train we had left the day before, and 
started for Beirut. The day became very warm 
and the journey was peculiarly tiresome. It was 
thought by many before the railway was built 
that the people would not ride in the trains ; but 
now they are often very much crowded. It was 
so on this occasion ; the cars of all the three 
classes were packed for the greater part of the 
journey. The track is rough, the trains move 
slowly, and they stop frequently. After days 
spent on horseback, our limbs were stiff when 
we arrived at Damascus ; but our positive fatigue 
was far greater when we arrived at Beirut after 
riding in crowded cars and under a burning sun. 
Although it was now about the middle of Octo- 
ber, the ride to Beirut and the night spent there 
were the hottest experiences which we had after 
leaving the Red Sea. 

Tremendous were the noise, confusion, and ex- 
citement of every sort on arriving at Beirut and 
getting our baggage through the custom house. 
The Orientals love noise ; it is a form of their 
chosen enjoyment. Business of many millions 




426 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



of dollars might be transacted in Europe or in 
America with less confusion and noise than we 
had in the tedious delay of getting our baggage 
examined and in securing carriages to drive to 
our hotel. The arrival by sea would have had 
much more noise and confusion still. It is almost 
as much as a traveler's life is worth to land by 
boat at an Oriental port. 

I was now near the end of my fifteen days in 
Palestine and Syria, and was not sorry to leave 
for "The Isles of Greece," and finally for Great 
Britain and home. My face was now distinctly 
turned homeward. Never did Europe seem so 
much like home as when I reached it from Asia. 
I was weary of the noise, of the dogs, and of the 
dirt of Oriental cities. The night spent at 
Beirut was very uncomfortable. It was ex- 
tremely hot ; bands of some wild sort played 
most of the night, and mosquitoes — which are 
rare in Palestine, owing to the coldness of the 
nights — sang their songs and worked their 
lances and their pumps all night. There are 
good hotels and almost all modern and European 
conveniences and comforts in Beirut, so far as 
Oriental conditions will admit ; but certainly I 
have no very pleasant memories of my night 
there. On the train to Beirut, and in the city 
itself, we found French constantly spoken. Few 
stop to think of the hold the French have in 
Syria. In connection with the settlement of the 
troubles in Damascus in i860, and with the build- 
ing of the railway, Frenchmen, French capital, 
and French influence in many ways, are felt in 



BEIRUT 



427 



Syria. If Palestine and Syria should be divided 
among the nations of Europe, France would be 
sure to get a large slice in this vicinity. Indeed, 
a knowledge of the French tongue greatly facili- 
tates travel in Syria. English is also spoken by 
those who have attended the schools at Beirut, 
and altogether one feels here almost as if he 
were in Europe ; and the more he can so feel 
the better he will like this old and interesting 
city. There are here good shops, baths, pho- 
tographers, and English, American, French, 
German, Austrian, and Italian physicians ; there 
are also good dentists of different nationalities, 
besides bankers, consulates, and steamboat agents. 
Altogether the town is quite modern, but there 
is still room for improvement. It is the princi- 
pal commercial town in Syria. 

Bits of Early History. — It was originally 
one of the two towns of the Canaanitish " Gib- 
lites," or dwellers on the mounts ; these towns 
were Berytus and Biblus. Some derive the 
name of Berytus from its fountains, " beerot " ; 
others from " berosh," a pine tree. The town is 
mentioned by the Greeks before the time of 
Alexander ; but it is not named in connection 
with his campaigns. As the consequence of a 
rebellion against Antiochus VII., Berytus is said 
to have been entirely destroyed ; but the Romans 
rebuilt it and named it Augusta Felix, in honor 
of the Emperor Augustus. Herod Agrippa, to 
please the Romans, built here baths and theatres, 
and organized gladiatorial combats. At Berytus, 



428 



SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



as at Banias, Titus, after the destruction of Jeru- 
salem, caused many Jews to fight against one 
another in the arena. In the third century 
Berytus with Tyre furnished silk fabrics to the 
Roman markets ; and later this trade was ex- 
tended to Greece and was continued for several 
centuries. This port of Syria was thus long 
famous for mulberry trees and for silk culture. 
As the result of terrible earthquakes Berytus 
long lay in ruins. In 635 it was easily captured 
by the Moslems; but in 11 25 it was taken by 
the crusaders under Baldwin, and held by them 
until they were practically driven out of the land 
by their defeat at the battle of Hattin. For a 
time in the sixteenth century it was the resi- 
dence of the Druse Prince Fakhr. He banished 
the Turks, favored the Christians, and promoted 
trade. Beirut was for a time his favorite resi- 
dence. On his return from Italy he undertook 
to introduce many innovations. Finally both he 
and his son were taken by the Turks and slain. 
After the usual changes of dynasties and owner- 
ships characteristic of Oriental towns, Beirut 
was in 1840 bombarded by the English and cap- 
tured for the Turks. 

Rapid Increase of Population. — After the 
massacre of so many Christians in Damascus in 
i860, large numbers came to Beirut to make 
there a home. Since that date the prosperity of 
Beirut has been greater than ever before. There 
are not, however, many places in the city for the 
tourist to visit. The bazaars are almost as much 



BEIRUT 



429 



European as Oriental. The ancient tower near 
the harbor is interesting because of all that it 
suggests regarding past history. The town occu- 
pies a part of the southern side of St. George's Bay, 
and the interior of the bay offers partial protection 
to ships which are in the harbor against stormy 
weather. A very considerable amount of ship- 
ping enters Beirut, and when the new harbor, par- 
tially completed, is ready for occupation, Beirut 
will be the only safe landing-place along the 
coast. There are in the city official representa- 
tives of the Greek Orthodox Church, the United 
Greeks, the Maronites, and also the Roman 
churches. The plain on which the town stands 
is covered with luxuriant gardens, while behind 
it the mountains rise to a good height, and snow- 
covered summits are seen still beyond. The hills 
are cultivated to a considerable degree, and an 
air of prosperity marks the whole neighborhood, 
and the tints of the mountains contrasting with 
the blue sea make a charming picture. The 
heat is often great, but is usually tempered by 
the refreshing sea-breeze. It was a matter of re- 
gret to me that I visited here at a time when 
many of the Europeans, and especially our 
American missionaries, were absent, having gone 
to the heights of Lebanon for the summer. 

As already intimated, the population of the 
town has grown rapidly since the slaughter of 
Christians in Damascus in i860. Previous to 
that day the population was about twenty thou- 
sand ; now it is more than one hundred thou- 
sand. The religious community is of varied 



430 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



complexion, the Moslems, however, predomi- 
nating. It is a great comfort to know that they 
are rapidly decreasing, while Christians are con- 
stantly increasing. The Christians have the 
reputation of being very industrious, enterpris- 
ing, and prosperous, and in this respect have 
been compared to the ancient Phoenicians. Busi- 
ness houses are found in Beirut with branches in 
England, France, America, and other countries. 
These merchants are doing a good business, and 
are not surpassed in success by European mer- 
chants doing business in Syria. As already re- 
marked, French is becoming the common lan- 
guage next to the Arabic, having in this respect 
taken the place formerly held by the Italian 
tongue. Romanist schools have done much to 
disseminate the knowledge of the French lan- 
guage in this part of Syria. The number of 
persons in Beirut who can neither read nor write 
is very small compared with most Syrian cities. 

Beneficent Influence of Christianity. 
— Christianity has shown its beneficent influence 
here by exalting woman in the social and intel- 
lectual scale. The church of Scotland has a 
Jewish mission in Beirut which was begun in 
1864, and it does admirable work in educating 
the Jewish youth. St. George's Institute, under 
the direction of Scotch ladies, is rendering ex- 
cellent service for Moslem and Druse girls. The 
British Syrian Mission began its work here with 
the special object of caring for the orphans whose 
parents were slain in the Damascus massacre. 



BEIRUT 



431 



There are also schools for the blind. Excellent 
Christian work is done by German mission or- 
ganizations. The Kaiserswerth deaconesses con- 
duct a large orphanage and boarding school, 
which school stands high as a college for young 
women. Reference has already been made to 
the French institutions belonging to various 
bodies in connection with the Roman Church. 
The Italian government is also making efforts to 
found schools for boys and girls ; and the Greek 
Orthodox and Maronite churches, as well as Jew- 
ish synagogues, are conducting schools with 
vigor and success. To American Christians 
Beirut is especially interesting as the seat of the 
American mission which entered upon its work 
in Syria as early as 182 1. From it have gone 
out Christian influences which have affected all 
Syria. Much has been done by distributing 
Bibles, organizing schools, and preaching the 
gospel, and the good work permeates the whole 
country. Among the American names deserv- 
ing of great honor are Messrs. Parsons, Fiske, 
Goodell, King, and Bird ; between the years 
1819 and 1823 these gentlemen were the pio- 
neers of missions in Syria. The places made 
vacant by the early death of Parsons and Fiske 
were filled by other noble Christian workers. 
These men then were and others to-day are striv- 
ing to rekindle the light of Christianity in lands 
made sacred by the work of Christ and his 
apostles. The labors of Doctor Thomson, so 
widely known as the author of " The Land and 
the Book," as well as those of Drs. Vandyck, 



432 SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURES 



Calhoun, Bliss, and Eli Smith, are worthy of all 
honor, as are also the names of the men in the 
field to-day. Distinguished scientific men have 
been connected with this mission. The univer- 
sity in Beirut has a theological seminary and a 
medical department, as well as courses in science 
and literature. Its buildings are excellent and 
well adapted to their various purposes. A four 
years' course of training is given to the pupils 
in the medical department, and those who re- 
ceive degrees greatly surpass the native physi- 
cians. The girls' seminary is an important part 
of the work of the American mission. It is 
stated that the number of schools of this mis- 
sion in 1889 was one hundred and forty-one, 
with over six thousand pupils of both sexes. It 
also publishes a weekly newspaper, and in a 
great variety of ways is laboring to diffuse a 
knowledge of Christianity in this dark country. 

Visit to Palestine Ended. — The time has 
now come when I must leave this land which I 
so longed to visit and through which I have 
passed rapidly, experiencing no little fatigue, 
but very much pleasure and profit. It is with 
mingled joy and sorrow that I now prepared to 
leave Palestine and Syria. God has marvel- 
lously preserved this land as a truthful witness 
to the teaching of Holy Scripture. I now part 
with my faithful Abdallah, who had been my 
devoted attendant and instructive guide from 
Joppa to Jerusalem, to Damascus, and to Beirut. 
He comes with me to the boat which lies in the 



BEIRUT 



433 



harbor waiting to carry me away from these his- 
toric shores, perhaps never to return. As I 
think of this land over which the baleful shadow 
of Islam falls, I can say with Doctor Fish, that 
the significant prophecy, perhaps but little under- 
stood by the Moslems, which so long was over 
the portal of their great mosque at Damascus, 
gives me cheer and hope as I leave this dark 
country : " Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an ever- 
lasting kingdom." May God speed the day 
when Christ shall reign in all parts of Palestine 
and throughout the whole world ! I now turn 
away to sail to lands visited by apostles as the 
first preachers of Christ, and to lands and to 
islands made famous alike by the missionaries 
of the cross and the immortal poets of classic 
Greece ; the isles which live in our memories as 
synonyms of art and literature, of song and 
story, the isles of which Lord Byron sang : 

The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece ! 
Where burning Sappho loved and sung, 
Where grew the arts of war and peace, — 
Where Delos rose, and Phcebus sprung ! 
Eternal summer gilds them yet, 
But all, except their sun, is set. 



NOV IT MM 



5 



5 



s 



